Researchers published findings in the journals Neuropsychology and Brain Sciences stating that an intellectually rich life and developed emotional skills can help preserve memory and other cognitive abilities after age 65. ^[1] Elisabetta Pisanu, first author of a study published in 2026 in the journal Neuropsychology, said that older adults with higher cognitive reserve achieve language performance comparable to that of younger adults. ^[2] Stefania Lucia, first author of a study published in 2026 in the journal Brain Sciences, said that cognitive reserve improves performance accuracy in working memory tasks regardless of the experimental condition. ^[3] The two studies conducted at SISSA indicate that cognitive and emotional resources work together to support healthier and more efficient cognitive aging in adults over 65. ^[4] Participants with higher cognitive reserve performed better on word-finding and other language tasks, with some metrics approaching the results of younger people. ^[5] The research identified a link between accumulated cognitive reserve, emotional skills, and test results, rather than proving that training these abilities after 65 prevents age-related cognitive decline. ^[6] The study analyzed cognitive abilities of people over 65, focusing on 'cognitive reserve' formed through education, intellectually complex work, and activities that regularly require learning new things. ^[7] Pisanu also reported that older adults retrieve words associated with positive emotions more easily than those linked to negative emotions. ^[8]