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Uncorrelated Age-Related Changes in Visuo-Spatial Working Memory Binding and Thermoregulation.
Marine Dourte1,2,3, Gregory Hammad1, Christina Schmidt1,2
1Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory, GIGA-CRC Human Imaging Unit, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
Clocks & Sleep
|March 24, 2025
Summary
Older adults show reduced thermoregulation and visuo-spatial working memory (vsWM) ability. This study found no direct link between daily temperature variations and cognitive performance in aging individuals.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Chronobiology
Background:
- Aging impacts circadian rhythms and thermoregulation, affecting sleep-wake cycles and cognitive function.
- Visuo-spatial working memory (vsWM) is crucial for daily tasks and may be influenced by age-related physiological changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between thermoregulation, specifically the distal-proximal skin temperature gradient (DPG), and vsWM performance in young and old adults.
- To examine how age and time of day affect DPG amplitude and vsWM accuracy.
Main Methods:
- Continuous 24-hour monitoring of DPG in healthy young (18-34 years) and old (64-84 years) adults in a field setting.
- Assessment of vsWM using an object-location binding task during morning (09:00) and evening (17:00) sessions.
Main Results:
- Older adults exhibited a reduced circadian DPG amplitude compared to younger adults.
- Older participants demonstrated reduced vsWM performance, with more errors in object identification and location recall.
- No significant association was found between circadian DPG modulation and vsWM performance, nor between testing time and cognitive outcomes.
Conclusions:
- While aging is associated with altered thermoregulation and reduced vsWM, this study did not find a direct link between DPG variations and cognitive performance.
- Further research is required to explore environmental factors and circadian rhythm timing in the context of cognitive aging.
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