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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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Task-switching and frontal cortex functioning across adulthood: An fNIRS study.

Michael K Yeung¹

¹Department of Psychology, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; University Research Facility of Human Behavioral Neuroscience, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; University Research Facility in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.

|March 20, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Task-switching performance declines with age, becoming slower and less accurate. However, increased brain activation in the left posterolateral frontal cortex may help older adults maintain cognitive function.

Keywords:

Aging Mental flexibility Near-infrared spectroscopy Prefrontal cortex Task-switching

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Neuroscience
Neuroscience of Aging

Background:

Task-switching is crucial for daily functioning but is less efficient than single-task performance.
Previous research on age-related task-switching differences and their neural underpinnings is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

Investigate age-related differences in task-switching performance and neural mechanisms across adulthood.
Examine the relationship between age, task-switching efficiency, and frontal cortex activation.

Main Methods:

132 adults (aged 18-79) completed a task-switching paradigm and a variant of the Trail Making Test.
Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) measured hemodynamic changes in the bilateral frontal cortex.
Behavioral data (time, accuracy) and fNIRS data were analyzed for age-related correlations.

Main Results:

Older adults exhibited slower and less accurate task-switching performance.
Age correlated negatively with task-switching speed and positively with accuracy.
Increased activation in the left posterolateral frontal cortex was positively associated with age.

Conclusions:

Task-switching performance and its neural correlates show varying age-related changes across adulthood.
Enhanced left posterolateral frontal cortex engagement may serve as a compensatory mechanism for age-related declines in task-switching.
Understanding these neural mechanisms can inform strategies to support cognitive function in aging adults.