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Age effects on processing spatial relations within different reference frames: The role of executive functions
Ioanna Markostamou1,2, Kenny R Coventry2
1Division of Psychology, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK.
Applied Neuropsychology. Adult
|September 19, 2022
Summary
Spatial processing abilities change with age, with self- and object-centered frames remaining stable. Allocentric frames decline in older adults, linked to executive functions like mental flexibility.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human Development
Background:
- Spatial representations rely on various reference frames.
- Aging impacts cognitive functions, potentially affecting spatial processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate age-related changes in spatial relation processing across different spatial reference frames (SRFs).
- Examine the role of executive functions in these age-related changes.
Main Methods:
- Developed and validated a novel task for assessing spatial relations in self-, third-person-, object-, and environment-centered frames.
- Administered cognitive tests measuring working memory, inhibition, and mental flexibility to healthy adults aged 18-85.
Main Results:
- Self- and object-centered spatial processing remained stable across the adult lifespan.
- Third-person and environment-centered spatial processing declined in older adulthood.
- Mental flexibility mediated age-related variance in allocentric SRF processing; working memory also mediated environment-centered processing.
Conclusions:
- Distinct neural systems may underlie different SRFs, with varying susceptibility to aging.
- Effortful cognitive resources, particularly mental flexibility, are crucial for processing spatial relations across diverse SRFs.
Keywords:
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