Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Assessment of Age-related Changes in Cognitive Functions Using EmoCogMeter, a Novel Tablet-computer Based Approach
Published on: February 14, 2014
Human neuroscience and the aging mind: a new look at old problems
Patricia A Reuter-Lorenz1, Denise C Park
1Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. parl@umich.edu
This review explores the integration of neuroscience and psychology to understand cognitive aging. It highlights brain plasticity and compensation mechanisms in healthy aging, proposing new theories for the aging mind.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychology
Background:
- Cognitive aging has been studied through behavioral measurements.
- Neuroscientific approaches offer new insights into cognitive aging mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an overview of the synthesis between neuroscientific and psychological approaches to cognitive aging.
- To review brain imaging studies relevant to cognitive aging.
- To discuss emerging trends and future research in aging mind and brain.
Main Methods:
- Selective review of brain imaging studies.
- Examination of cognitive neuroscience methods applied to healthy aging.
- Summary of recent neurocognitive theories of aging.
Main Results:
- Brain imaging studies reveal mechanisms of cognitive aging.
- Evidence supports plasticity and compensation in healthy aging.
- New neurocognitive models, like the Scaffolding Theory of Aging and Cognition, have emerged.
Conclusions:
- The integration of neuroscience and psychology advances the understanding of cognitive aging.
- Cognitive neuroscience methods reveal key mechanisms like plasticity and compensation.
- Future research should focus on emerging trends in the aging mind and brain.
Related Concept Videos
Aging
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
Cognitive Development During Adulthood
Cognitivism
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process information is...
Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
The Effect of Aging on Tissues
Mitochondria

