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Updated: Mar 31, 2026

Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment
Published on: September 20, 2020
Age differences in brain systems supporting transient and sustained processes involved in prospective memory and
Nathalie Peira1, Maryam Ziaei2, Jonas Persson3
1Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Box 1225, 751 42 Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
Older adults show reduced prospective memory (PM) performance, especially on demanding tasks. This decline is linked to lower brain activation in key areas, suggesting impaired recruitment of neural networks for event-based PM.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
- Human Aging Research
Background:
- Prospective memory (PM) involves forming, retaining, and acting on future intentions.
- PM declines in late adulthood, impacting daily living, but neural underpinnings are unclear.
- Event-based PM links external cues to intended actions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related differences in brain activation during event-based prospective memory (PM).
- To explore the neural correlates of PM decline in older adults.
- To differentiate transient and sustained components of PM and their age-related neural variations.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to scan 15 young and 16 older adults.
- A specialized task separated transient and sustained components of event-based PM.
- Performance and brain activation patterns were compared between age groups.
Main Results:
- Older adults performed worse on high-demand prospective and working memory tasks.
- Distinct brain regions were activated for transient and sustained PM components across all participants.
- Younger adults showed greater activation than older adults in fronto-striatal, MTL, and IFG regions for PM tasks.
Conclusions:
- Prospective memory involves separable transient and sustained cognitive processes.
- Age-related PM deficits may stem from an inability to recruit relevant brain networks.
- Reduced activation in fronto-striatal, MTL, and IFG regions contributes to PM decline in aging.
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