A meta-analysis of cognitive flexibility in aging: Perspective from functional network and lateralization
Haishuo Xia1, Yongqing Hou1, Qing Li1
1Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Human Brain Mapping
|October 3, 2024
Summary
Cognitive flexibility declines with aging, showing altered brain network activation. Older adults have increased activity in some networks but decreased activity in visual networks, with specific lateralization patterns observed.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Cognitive flexibility, crucial for adapting behavior, typically decreases with age.
- Age-related cognitive declines are linked to changes in brain region activation.
- Previous research lacks meta-analyses on aging, cognitive flexibility, and large-scale brain network activation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To meta-analyze age-related variations in brain network activation during cognitive flexibility tasks.
- To identify specific functional networks and lateralization patterns associated with cognitive flexibility in aging.
- To provide a network-level understanding of cognitive flexibility changes in older adults.
Main Methods:
- Multilevel kernel density analysis to identify differing activation patterns between age groups.
- Lateralization analysis to assess the spatial distribution of activation differences.
- Permutation tests with Monte Carlo simulation for statistical significance.
Main Results:
- Older adults showed increased activation in default mode, dorsal attention, ventral attention, and somatomotor networks.
- Decreased activation was observed in the visual network in older adults.
- Left lateralization of decreased activation regions globally and within networks was found; increased activation showed varied lateralization.
Conclusions:
- Multiple functional networks contribute to age-related cognitive flexibility variations.
- The aging brain displays network-dependent activation and lateralization patterns during cognitive flexibility tasks.
- This meta-analysis offers novel network-based insights into cognitive flexibility in aging.
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