Age differences in resting state EEG and their relation to eye movements and cognitive performance

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Aging
• Electroencephalography (EEG)

Background:

• Prior research often examined age-related differences in electroencephalography (EEG) or cognitive tasks separately.
• Few studies have linked age-related EEG variations to behavioral performance, hindering understanding of neuroactivity in successful and impaired aging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between age differences in resting-state EEG and cognitive/eye-tracking performance.
• To determine how neuroactivity correlates with cognitive function and potential resilience in aging.

Main Methods:

• Eighty-six healthy participants (31 young, 44 older adults) underwent cognitive testing and eye-tracking.
• Resting-state EEG was recorded to analyze delta, theta, alpha, and beta power, and alpha peak frequency.

Main Results:

• Older adults exhibited expected cognitive deficits (working memory, inhibition) and advantages (vocabulary), alongside poorer eye movement accuracy and slower response times.
• EEG findings included lower alpha peak frequency, higher beta power, and less parietal alpha asymmetry in older adults compared to young adults.
• Interactions revealed that lower beta power benefited prosaccade performance in young adults, while higher delta power improved performance on a task-switching test for older adults.

Conclusions:

• Age-related cognitive and behavioral differences are associated with specific resting-state EEG signatures.
• Higher slow-wave resting EEG activity might confer resilience against age-related cognitive deficits, particularly in tasks requiring cross-cortical processing.