Age-related differences in cortical recruitment and suppression: implications for cognitive performance
Ruchika Shaurya Prakash1, Susie Heo, Michelle W Voss
1Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States. Prakash.30@osu.edu
Behavioural Brain Research
|February 22, 2012
Summary
The default-mode network (DMN) shows altered activity in older adults during cognitive tasks. Enhanced DMN deactivation, particularly in the posterior cingulate cortex, is linked to better performance in older individuals.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Aging
- Brain Networks
Background:
- The default-mode network (DMN) is a set of brain regions active during rest and deactivated during task performance.
- DMN function is of increasing interest in both healthy and diseased populations, particularly concerning aging.
- Understanding the DMN's role in cognitive function is crucial for addressing age-related cognitive changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if DMN deactivation moderates individual differences in behavioral performance in older adults during a cognitive task.
- To compare DMN activity and working memory network modulation between young and older adults.
- To explore the relationship between DMN function and cognitive performance in aging.
Main Methods:
- A verbal n-back task with varying cognitive loads was administered to 25 young and 25 older adults.
- Periods of rest (fixation) were interleaved with task blocks.
- Brain activity within DMN regions and working memory networks was analyzed in relation to task demands and performance.
Main Results:
- Older adults showed reduced up-regulation in prefrontal and parietal regions and reduced DMN down-regulation with increasing cognitive load compared to young adults.
- Young adults' performance correlated with their ability to modulate working memory network regions.
- Older adults' enhanced performance was associated with greater load-induced deactivation of the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC).
Conclusions:
- DMN deactivation plays a critical role in cognitive functioning in older adults.
- Age-related differences exist in the modulation of DMN and working memory networks during cognitive tasks.
- Targeting DMN function, specifically PCC deactivation, may offer insights into supporting cognitive health in aging.
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