Young onset dementia and role of cognitive reserve

The aim of the present work is to verify whether Cognitive Reserve (CR) maintains its protective role even in patients with an early diagnosis of dementia. This concept has been extensively investigated in the typical onset of neurodegenerative disease, but it is still poorly considered in patients with young onset (Young Onset Dementia, YOD) which is an important clinical condition because of both medical and social consequences (Sampson, Warren & Rossor, 2004). The diagnosis of a neurodegenerative disease may be difficult when considering protective factors such as CR and the young age of the patient at the onset. These factors may mislead the identification of symptoms, even in the case of strong diagnostic suspicions.