Cognitive reserve and executive function: Effect on judgment of health and safety.

Individuals with the same neurological conditions do not necessarily manifest the same behavioral presentation, which suggests differences in resilience and vulnerability among individuals, a concept known as cognitive reserve. This study sought to explore the relationship among cognitive reserve, executive functioning, and health and safety judgment among a sample of older adult inpatients in an extended medical care unit at a Veterans Health Administration hospital. We hypothesized that cognitive reserve, as determined by an estimate of premorbid intellectual ability, would act as a protective factor against poor judgment in older adults with executive dysfunction.