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Working and ageing
100 Guidance and counselling for mature learners

ʻcognitive reserve hypothesisʼ (Stern, 2009), which maintains that active
participation and lifelong learning creates an increased cognitive ʻreservoirʼ
across the life span and reduces the impact of age on cognition. More
specifically, active involvement in activities that improve cognition such as,
learning new tasks in the workplace, increase cognitive training, which in turn,
improves brain activity and acts as a preventive mechanism to cognitive
deterioration. It is not clear whether this effect is independent of premorbid
intelligence. Perhaps individuals with higher cognitive ability engage in more
stimulating activities throughout their life spans, have more challenging jobs,
and pursue more active lifestyles.
There are only a few carefully controlled studies on cognitive training in
older adults and most assess individuals over the age of 60. The long-lasting
memories project is one, funded by the European Commission (Directorate-
General Information, Society and Media) which aims to explore cognitive and
physical ageing in the elderly using an ICT platform. The platform offers end-
users cognitive training combined with physical activity in the framework of an
advanced ambient-assisted living environment, in five different countries
(Greece, Spain, France, Austria and the UK). The main objective is to provide
older people with a user-friendly service to improve their cognitive and physical
performances and consequently their quality of life, to prolong their
independence and contribution to society. Publication of results of the double-
blinded controlled studies is planned for the end of 2011 and beginning of
2012 (http://www.longlastingmemories.eu/).

5.8. Conclusions

Results of empirical research on cognitive ageing and job-related performance
in healthy individuals provide substantial insight into determinants of
successful ageing and beneficial effects of lifelong learning. Several
conclusions can be drawn from this analysis:
(a) cognitive ageing is a gradual process, part of normal development, that
begins in early adulthood and involves cognitive change. Several brain
areas have the ability to reorganise and respond to age-related changes,
which may or may not be accompanied by behavioral changes in
cognition;
(b) there is great heterogeneity in cognitive ageing but most studies agree
that there is a plateau in cognitive abilities in middle adulthood and a
decline in older age. Indeed, most cognitive abilities remain unchanged