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The frontal aging hypothesis evaluated.

P M Greenwood1

  • 1Cognitive Science Laboratory, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064, USA. Greenwood@CUA.EDU

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society : JINS
|September 30, 2000
PubMed
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The frontal aging hypothesis suggests frontal lobe decline impacts aging functions. However, this review finds weak evidence for selective frontal lobe aging, proposing network theories instead.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • The frontal aging hypothesis posits that age-related decline in human frontal lobes explains cognitive functional decline in aging.
  • This hypothesis predicts selective impairment of frontal lobe functions and selective impact on frontal regions due to aging.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the frontal aging hypothesis by examining evidence for selectively reduced frontal lobe function in aging.
  • To review age-related changes in functions mediated by frontal and non-frontal brain regions.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review examining studies on working memory, visuospatial attention, face recognition, and implicit memory.
  • Analysis of age-related effects on functions dependent on prefrontal, parietal, temporal, and occipitotemporal cortices.

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Main Results:

  • Age sensitivity was observed in functions dependent on both frontal and non-frontal brain integrity.
  • While prefrontal areas show age-related decreases in volume, blood flow, and metabolism, non-frontal regions exhibit similar declines.
  • Evidence for selective and differential aging of frontal regions is weak and conflicting.

Conclusions:

  • The frontal lobes are affected by aging, but evidence for selective vulnerability is limited.
  • A network-based theory of cognitive aging offers a more advantageous framework than the localizationist approach of the frontal aging hypothesis.