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Related Experiment Videos

Top-down suppression deficit underlies working memory impairment in normal aging.

Adam Gazzaley1, Jeffrey W Cooney, Jesse Rissman

  • 1Henry H. Wheeler, Jr. Brain Imaging Center, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute & Department of Psychology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA. adamgazz@comewander.com

Nature Neuroscience
|September 15, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Normal aging impairs cognitive control, specifically the brain's ability to suppress irrelevant information, impacting attention and working memory. While older adults struggle with suppression, they maintain the enhancement of relevant sensory processing.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Aging Research

Background:

  • Top-down modulation is crucial for cognitive control, supporting attention and memory.
  • This mechanism involves suppressing irrelevant sensory input and enhancing relevant input based on task goals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of normal aging on top-down modulation.
  • To determine if deficits in cognitive control are specific to suppression or enhancement processes.

Main Methods:

  • Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to measure brain activity.
  • The study compared cognitive control mechanisms in healthy older adults versus younger adults (implied).

Main Results:

  • Healthy older adults showed a significant deficit in suppressing cortical activity related to task-irrelevant information.

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  • The ability to enhance task-relevant activity was preserved in older adults.
  • This suppression deficit correlated with poorer working memory performance.

    • Conclusions:

    • Normal aging is associated with a specific impairment in the suppression aspect of top-down modulation.
    • This age-related deficit in suppressing irrelevant information contributes to attention and working memory decline.