The Cognitive Reserve concept, generally understood as the acquired protective effect, is considered by many authors as an active mechanism that is based on the application of previously learned resources, due to a good education, profession and/or premorbid intelligence. The Stroop Test has been used in the neuropsychological assessment of executive functions in aging-related disease, such as Alzheimer’s Disease.
Objectives: We intend to study the influence of cognitive reserve in executive functions in subjects with late onset Alzheimer´s disease, and in healthy subjects in a Portuguese sample.
Method: We used two samples, one consisting of 91 healthy subjects and a second sample of 32 subjects diagnosed with senile dementia of the Alzheimer type.
Results: The group of healthy subjects showed better performance on the test, than the pathologic group. Significative differences were found in the healthy group between high and low cognitive reserve subgroups.
Conclusions: The Stroop Test, shows a high sensitivity in determining alterations in executive functions and the influence of cognitive reserve in that function.
