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Updated: May 13, 2026

A Method for Investigating Age-related Differences in the Functional Connectivity of Cognitive Control Networks Associated with Dimensional Change Card Sort Performance

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Published on: May 7, 2014

Age-related elevations in intraindividual variability on associative memory tasks.

Susan Vandermorris¹, Kelly J Murphy, Angela K Troyer

¹a Neuropsychology and Cognitive Health, Baycrest , Toronto , ON , Canada.

Neuropsychology, Development, and Cognition. Section B, Aging, Neuropsychology and Cognition

|March 5, 2013

Summary

Cognitive intraindividual variability (IIV) increases with age, potentially indicating broader brain network decline beyond just frontal lobe function. Older adults exhibit higher IIV in memory tasks, suggesting widespread neural aging.

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Published on: February 14, 2014

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Psychology
Gerontology

Background:

Age-related cognitive decline is often associated with reduced executive control and frontal lobe dysfunction.
Cognitive intraindividual variability (IIV) is increasingly recognized as a sensitive marker of cognitive aging.
Current understanding of IIV in aging may be limited by a focus on frontal lobe-dependent tasks.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate age-related differences in IIV on associative memory tasks.
To determine if elevated IIV in older adults extends to cognitive processes not primarily reliant on frontal systems.
To explore the relationship between IIV, response speed, and accuracy in younger and older adults.

Main Methods:

Comparison of IIV between younger and older adult groups on two associative memory tasks.
Correlational analyses examining the relationship between IIV and performance metrics (response speed, accuracy).

Main Results:

Older adults demonstrated significantly higher IIV on both associative memory tasks compared to younger adults.
Elevated IIV was consistently correlated with slower response speeds across both age groups and tasks.
The relationship between IIV and accuracy showed mixed results, varying by task.

Conclusions:

Age-related elevations in IIV are not confined to tasks dependent on frontal systems, suggesting broader neural network involvement.
Increased IIV in older adults may reflect age-related decline in distributed neural networks, including medial temporal regions.
IIV is a potential indicator of widespread neural aging processes impacting cognitive function.