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Fisher M, Franklin DL, Post JM. Executive dysfunction, brain aging, and political leadership. Politics Life Sci 2016; 33:93-102. [PMID: 25901887 DOI: 10.2990/33_2_93] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Decision-making is an essential component of executive function, and a critical skill of political leadership. Neuroanatomic localization studies have established the prefrontal cortex as the critical brain site for executive function. In addition to the prefrontal cortex, white matter tracts as well as subcortical brain structures are crucial for optimal executive function. Executive function shows a significant decline beginning at age 60, and this is associated with age-related atrophy of prefrontal cortex, cerebral white matter disease, and cerebral microbleeds. Notably, age-related decline in executive function appears to be a relatively selective cognitive deterioration, generally sparing language and memory function. While an individual may appear to be functioning normally with regard to relatively obvious cognitive functions such as language and memory, that same individual may lack the capacity to integrate these cognitive functions to achieve normal decision-making. From a historical perspective, global decline in cognitive function of political leaders has been alternatively described as a catastrophic event, a slowly progressive deterioration, or a relatively episodic phenomenon. Selective loss of executive function in political leaders is less appreciated, but increased utilization of highly sensitive brain imaging techniques will likely bring greater appreciation to this phenomenon. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was an example of a political leader with a well-described neurodegenerative condition (cerebral amyloid angiopathy) that creates a neuropathological substrate for executive dysfunction. Based on the known neuroanatomical and neuropathological changes that occur with aging, we should probably assume that a significant proportion of political leaders over the age of 65 have impairment of executive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Fisher
- Department of Neurology and Political Science University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA 92697,
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Dai L, Kloog I, Coull BA, Sparrow D, Spiro A, Vokonas PS, Schwartz JD. Cognitive function and short-term exposure to residential air temperature: A repeated measures study based on spatiotemporal estimates of temperature. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2016; 150:446-451. [PMID: 27391696 PMCID: PMC5003630 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2016.06.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Revised: 05/23/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Few studies have examined the association between ambient temperature and cognitive function, or used exposure to temperature at a given address instead of a single stationary monitor. The existing literature on the temperature-cognition relationship has mostly consisted of experimental studies that involve a small sample size and a few specific temperature values. In the current study, we examined the association between residential air temperature and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores, a quantitative measurement of cognitive function, in a longitudinal cohort of elderly men. Residential air temperature was estimated by a novel spatiotemporal approach that incorporates satellite remote sensing, land use regression, meteorological variables and spatial smoothing in the Northeastern USA. We then applied logistic regression generalized estimating equations to examine the relationship between residential temperature (range: -5.8-25.7°C), and the risk of low MMSE scores (MMSE scores ≤25) among 594 elderly men (1085 visits in total) from the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study, 2000-2008. Sensitivity analysis on visits wherein subjects lived within 30km of the clinic center in Massachusetts or aged ≥70 years was also evaluated. A statistically significant, U-shaped association between residential air temperature and low MMSE score (p-value=0.036) was observed. Sensitivity analysis suggested that the estimated effect remains among individuals aged ≥70 years. In conclusion, the data suggest that risk of low MMSE scores is highest when temperature is either high or low, and lowest when ambient temperature is approximately within 10-15°C in a cohort of elderly men. Further research is needed to confirm our findings and assess generalizability to other populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingzhen Dai
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Itai Kloog
- The Department of Geography and Environmental Development, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Brent A Coull
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David Sparrow
- Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Avron Spiro
- Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Pantel S Vokonas
- Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joel D Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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103
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Erel H, Levy DA. Orienting of visual attention in aging. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 69:357-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2015] [Revised: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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104
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Kawai M, Beaudreau SA, Gould CE, Hantke NC, Cotto I, Jordan JT, Hirst RB, O'Hara R. Longitudinal association of delta activity at sleep onset with cognitive and affective function in community-dwelling older adults. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2016; 31:1124-35. [PMID: 27554208 DOI: 10.1002/gps.4554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2015] [Revised: 06/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This investigation sought to determine whether delta activity at sleep onset (DASO) in the sleep electroencephalography of older adults represents normal variation or is associated with clinical pathology. To this end, we examined its longitudinal associations with cognitive and affective function in older adults without dementia. METHODS Participants were 153 community-dwelling older adults without dementia. We evaluated polysomnography (PSG), cognitive performance, and affective function at four time points: baseline, 12, 24, and 36 months. All participants completed PSG and measures of global cognition, delayed verbal memory, information processing speed, attention, inhibition, verbal naming, visuospatial ability, and measures of anxiety and depression. DASO was defined as sequences of rhythmic anterior delta activity on PSG in the transition from awake to sleep during the baseline assessment (Figure ). RESULTS At the baseline, 83 women and 70 men, mean age 71.3 ± 0.6 years participated and 19.6% of participants exhibited DASO. Age, years of education, gender, and body mass index did not differ according to DASO status. Linear mixed modeling showed that the presence of DASO was actually associated with lower levels of anxiety and depression. Further, participants with DASO, versus those without DASO, exhibited a trend towards better cognitive performance over time, although none of these associations reached statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS Whereas DASO was associated with better affective function, no significant association was found between DASO and cognitive change over time. These longitudinal findings support the view that the presence of DASO in healthy older adults represents normal variation rather than pathological aging. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Kawai
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Sherry A Beaudreau
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.,Sierra Pacific Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Centers, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA.,School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Christine E Gould
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.,Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Nathan C Hantke
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.,Sierra Pacific Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Centers, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Isabelle Cotto
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Josh T Jordan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.,California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant, International University, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Ruth O'Hara
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.,Sierra Pacific Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Centers, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA.,School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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105
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Chauvin JJ, Gillebert CR, Rohenkohl G, Humphreys GW, Nobre AC. Temporal orienting of attention can be preserved in normal aging. Psychol Aging 2016; 31:442-55. [PMID: 27294712 PMCID: PMC4976797 DOI: 10.1037/pag0000105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2015] [Revised: 03/31/2016] [Accepted: 04/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Being able to orient our attention to moments in time is crucial for optimizing behavioral performance. In young adults, flexible cue-based temporal expectations have been shown to modulate perceptual functions and enhance behavioral performance. Recent studies with older individuals have reported significant deficits in cued temporal orienting. To investigate the extent of these deficits, the authors conducted 3 studies in healthy old and young adults. For each study, participants completed 2 tasks: a reaction time (RT) task that emphasized speeded responding and a nonspeeded rapid-serial-visual-presentation task that emphasized visual discrimination. Auditory cues indicated the likelihood of a target item occurring after a short or long temporal interval (foreperiod; 75% validity). In the first study, cues indicating a short or a long foreperiod were manipulated across blocks. The second study was designed to replicate and extend the first study by manipulating the predictive temporal cues on a trial-by-trial basis. The third study extended the findings by including neutral cues so that it was possible to separate cueing validity benefits and invalidity costs. In all 3 studies, cued temporal expectation conferred significant performance advantages for target stimuli occurring after the short foreperiod for both old and young participants. Contrary to previous findings, these results suggest that the ability to allocate attention to moments in time can be preserved in healthy aging. Further research is needed to ascertain whether similar neural networks are used to orient attention in time as we age, and/or whether compensatory mechanisms are at work in older individuals. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua J Chauvin
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Brain and Cognition Laboratory
| | | | - Gustavo Rohenkohl
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Brain and Cognition Laboratory
| | - Glyn W Humphreys
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Brain and Cognition Laboratory
| | - Anna C Nobre
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Brain and Cognition Laboratory
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Boissoneault J, Frazier I, Lewis B, Nixon SJ. Effects of Age and Acute Moderate Alcohol Administration on Electrophysiological Correlates of Working Memory Maintenance. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2016; 40:1874-83. [PMID: 27419803 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies suggest older adults may be differentially susceptible to the acute neurobehavioral effects of moderate alcohol intake. To our knowledge, no studies have addressed acute moderate alcohol effects on the electrophysiological correlates of working memory in younger and older social drinkers. This study characterized alcohol-related effects on frontal theta (FTP) and posterior alpha power (PAP) associated with maintenance of visual information during a working memory task. METHODS Older (55 to 70 years of age; n = 51, 29 women) and younger (25 to 35 years of age; n = 70, 39 women) community-dwelling moderate drinkers were recruited for this study. Participants were given either placebo or an active dose targeting breath alcohol concentrations (BrACs) of 0.04 or 0.065 g/dl. Following absorption, participants completed a visual working memory task assessing cue recognition following a 9-s delay. FTP and PAP were determined via Fourier transformation and subjected to 2 (age group) × 3 (dose) × 2 (repeated: working memory task condition) mixed models analysis. RESULTS In addition to expected age-related reductions in PAP, a significant age group × dose interaction was detected for PAP such that 0.04 g/dl dose level was associated with greater PAP in younger adults but lower PAP in their older counterparts. PAP was lower in older versus younger adults at both active doses. Further mixed models revealed a significant negative association between PAP and working memory efficiency for older adults. No effects of age, dose, or their interaction were noted for FTP. CONCLUSIONS Results bolster the small but growing body of evidence that older adults exhibit differential sensitivity to the neurobehavioral effects of moderate alcohol use. Given the theoretical role of PAP in attentional and working memory function, these findings shed light on the attentional mechanisms underlying effects of acute moderate alcohol on working memory efficiency in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeff Boissoneault
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.,Center for Pain Research and Behavioral Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Ian Frazier
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Ben Lewis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Sara Jo Nixon
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
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108
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Diaz MT, Rizio AA, Zhuang J. The neural language systems that support healthy aging: Integrating function, structure, and behavior. LANGUAGE AND LINGUISTICS COMPASS 2016; 10:314-334. [PMID: 28210287 PMCID: PMC5304920 DOI: 10.1111/lnc3.12199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Although healthy aging is generally characterized by declines in both brain structure and function, there is variability in the extent to which these changes result in observable cognitive decline. Specific to language, age-related differences in language production are observed more frequently than in language comprehension, although both are associated with increased right prefrontal cortex activation in older adults. The current paper explores these differences in the language system, integrating them with theories of behavioral and neural cognitive aging. Overall, data indicate that frontal reorganization of the dorsal language stream in older adults benefits task performance during comprehension, but not always during production. We interpret these results in the CRUNCH framework (compensation-related utilization of neural circuits hypothesis), which suggests that differences in task and process difficulty may underlie older adults' ability to successfully adapt. That is, older adults may be able to neurally adapt to less difficult tasks (i.e., comprehension), but fail to do so successfully as difficulty increases (i.e., production). We hypothesize greater age-related differences in aspects of language that rely more heavily on the dorsal language stream (e.g., syntax and production) and that recruit general cognitive resources that rely on frontal regions (e.g., executive function, working memory, inhibition). Moreover, there should be a relative sparing of tasks that rely predominantly on ventral stream regions. These results are both consistent with patterns of age-related structural decline and retention and with varying levels of difficulty across comprehension and production. This neurocognitive framework for understanding age-related differences in the language system centers on the interaction between prefrontal cortex activation, structural integrity, and task difficulty.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Avery A. Rizio
- The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Jie Zhuang
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
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Räling R, Schröder A, Wartenburger I. The origins of age of acquisition and typicality effects: Semantic processing in aphasia and the ageing brain. Neuropsychologia 2016; 86:80-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2015] [Revised: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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110
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The association of physical activity, cognitive processes and automobile driving ability in older adults: A review of the literature. Geriatr Nurs 2016; 37:313-20. [PMID: 27260109 DOI: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2016.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2016] [Revised: 05/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
As the number of older adults in the United States grows, the number of automobile drivers over the age of 65 will also increase. Several cognitive processes necessary for automobile driving are vulnerable to age-related decline. These include declines in executive function, working memory, attention, and speed of information processing. The benefits of physical activity on physical, psychological and particular cognitive processes are well-documented; however few studies have explored the relationship between physical activity and driving ability in older adults or examined if cognitive processes mediate (or moderate) the effect of physical activity on driving ability. The purpose of this paper is to review the existing literature regarding physical activity, cognition and automobile driving. Recommendations for further research and utility of the findings to nursing and the health care team are provided.
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111
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Donovan RJ, Anwar-McHenry J. Act-Belong-Commit: Lifestyle Medicine for Keeping Mentally Healthy. Am J Lifestyle Med 2016; 10:193-199. [PMID: 30202274 PMCID: PMC6124955 DOI: 10.1177/1559827614536846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2013] [Revised: 04/15/2014] [Accepted: 04/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Lifestyle medicine has generally focused on behaviors related to improving physical health and preventing physical illnesses, with little attention to behaviors related to mental health. This reflects the far greater concern in health systems around the globe for physical health over mental health. The Act-Belong-Commit campaign is the first major attempt to provide a lifestyle framework for promoting mental health that can be applied at a population level, within specific settings, and in the clinic. This article describes the campaign and offers clinicians a guide to implementing the campaign in their practice.
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Montoril MH, Lopes MVO, Santana RF, Sousa VEC, Carvalho PMO, Diniz CM, Alves NP, Ferreira GL, Fróes NBM, Menezes AP. Clinical validation of the NANDA-I diagnosis of impaired memory in elderly patients. Appl Nurs Res 2016; 30:32-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.apnr.2015.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Revised: 08/05/2015] [Accepted: 08/14/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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113
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D'Ascoli TA, Mursu J, Voutilainen S, Kauhanen J, Tuomainen TP, Virtanen JK. Association between serum long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and cognitive performance in elderly men and women: The Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study. Eur J Clin Nutr 2016; 70:970-5. [DOI: 10.1038/ejcn.2016.59] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2015] [Revised: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 03/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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114
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Acute Behavioral and Long-Term Health Effects of Moderate Alcohol Use in Older Adults. CURRENT ADDICTION REPORTS 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s40429-016-0087-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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115
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Rodríguez-Aranda C, Mittner M, Vasylenko O. Association Between Executive Functions, Working Memory, and Manual Dexterity in Young and Healthy Older Adults: An Exploratory Study. Percept Mot Skills 2016; 122:165-92. [PMID: 27420314 DOI: 10.1177/0031512516628370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Aging is accompanied by declines in cognitive and sensorimotor functions. However, at present, the interrelation between attentional processes and dexterity in aging has not been thoroughly addressed. This study explored the relationship between executive function, working memory, and dexterity performance in 15 young and 15 healthy elderly, right-handed participants. A modified version of the Purdue Pegboard Test was used for dexterity assessment. Two subtasks were selected to calculate temporal and kinematic parameters of reaching, grasping, transport, and insertion of pegs. Evaluation of executive function and working memory was performed using neuropsychological tests. The relationship between dexterity and cognitive outcomes were also examined. Results showed that the prehensile movements involved in grasping and their speed significantly differed between groups and correlated with executive function in the young group. For elderly adults, variability of hand movements turned out to be associated with executive abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Olena Vasylenko
- University of Tromsø, The Arctic University of Norway, Norway
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116
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Disturbance of attention network functions in Chinese healthy older adults: an intra-individual perspective. Int Psychogeriatr 2016; 28:291-301. [PMID: 26412555 DOI: 10.1017/s1041610215001556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intra-individual variability (IIV) and the change of attentional functions have been reported to be susceptible to both healthy ageing and pathological ageing. The current study aimed to evaluate the IIV of attention and the age-related effect on alerting, orienting, and executive control in cognitively healthy older adults. METHOD We evaluated 145 Chinese older adults (age range of 65-80 years, mean age of 72.41 years) with a comprehensive neuropsychological battery and the Attention network test (ANT). A two-step strategy of analytical methods was used: Firstly, the IIV of older adults was evaluated by the intraindividual coefficient of variation of reaction time (ICV-RT). The correlation between ICV-RT and age was used to evaluate the necessity of subgrouping. Further, the comparisons of ANT performance among three age groups were performed with processing speed adjusted. RESULTS Person's correlation revealed significant positive correlations between age and IIV (r = 0.185, p = 0.032), age and executive control (r = 0.253, p = 0.003). Furthermore, one-way ANOVA comparisons among three age groups revealed a significant age-related disturbance on executive control (F = 4.55, p = 0.01), in which oldest group (group with age >75 years) showed less efficient executive control than young-old (group with age 65-70 years) (Conventional score, p = 0.012; Ratio score, p = 0.020). CONCLUSION Advancing age has an effect on both IIV and executive attention in cognitively healthy older adults, suggesting that the disturbance of executive attention is a sensitive indicator to reflect healthy ageing. Its significance to predict further deterioration should be carefully evaluated with prospective studies.
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Green E, Shafto MA, Matthews FE, White SR. Adult Lifespan Cognitive Variability in the Cross-Sectional Cam-CAN Cohort. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2015; 12:15516-30. [PMID: 26690191 PMCID: PMC4690939 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph121215003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2015] [Revised: 11/27/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
This study examines variability across the age span in cognitive performance in a cross-sectional, population-based, adult lifespan cohort from the Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN) study (n = 2680). A key question we highlight is whether using measures that are designed to detect age-related cognitive pathology may not be sensitive to, or reflective of, individual variability among younger adults. We present three issues that contribute to the debate for and against age-related increases in variability. Firstly, the need to formally define measures of central tendency and measures of variability. Secondly, in addition to the commonly addressed location-confounding (adjusting for covariates) there may exist changes in measures of variability due to confounder sub-groups. Finally, that increases in spread may be a result of floor or ceiling effects; where the measure is not sensitive enough at all ages. From the Cam-CAN study, a large population-based dataset, we demonstrate the existence of variability-confounding for the immediate episodic memory task; and show that increasing variance with age in our general cognitive measures is driven by a ceiling effect in younger age groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Green
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Cambridge Institute of Public Health, Univeristy of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2-0SR, UK;
| | - Meredith A. Shafto
- Centre for Speech, Language and the Brain, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2-3EB, UK;
| | - Fiona E. Matthews
- MRC Biostatistics Unit, Cambridge CB2-0SR, UK;
- Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle NE4-5PL, UK
| | - Cam-CAN
- Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN), University of Cambridge and MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, UK, www.cam-can.com;
| | - Simon R. White
- MRC Biostatistics Unit, Cambridge CB2-0SR, UK;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-223-767-408
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Pertl MM, Lawlor BA, Robertson IH, Walsh C, Brennan S. Risk of Cognitive and Functional Impairment in Spouses of People With Dementia: Evidence From the Health and Retirement Study. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 2015; 28:260-71. [PMID: 26071444 DOI: 10.1177/0891988715588834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Caring for a spouse with dementia is a chronic stressor that may compromise caregivers' own cognitive functioning and capacity to provide adequate care. We examined whether having (i) a spouse with dementia and (ii) a spouse who requires assistance with activities of daily living predicted cognitive and functional impairments in respondents to the Health and Retirement Study (n = 7965). Respondents who had a spouse who requires care had poorer cognitive functioning, whereby this relationship was significantly stronger for male respondents. Having a spouse with dementia moderated the relationship between income and cognition and predicted caregiver functional impairment, though not when depression was controlled. Although we found no significant differences on any individual cognitive domains between 179 dementia caregivers and sociodemographically matched noncaregivers, our findings suggest that caregivers, especially men, and low-income individuals who have a spouse with dementia are more vulnerable to adverse cognitive outcomes. Targeting depression in spouses of people with dementia may help to prevent functional impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria M Pertl
- Neuro-Enhancement for Independent Lives (NEIL) Programme, School of Psychology, Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience (TCIN), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Brian A Lawlor
- Neuro-Enhancement for Independent Lives (NEIL) Programme, School of Medicine, Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience (TCIN), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Ian H Robertson
- Neuro-Enhancement for Independent Lives (NEIL) Programme, School of Psychology, Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience (TCIN), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Cathal Walsh
- Department of Statistics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sabina Brennan
- Neuro-Enhancement for Independent Lives (NEIL) Programme, School of Psychology, Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience (TCIN), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
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119
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Shafto MA. Proofreading in Young and Older Adults: The Effect of Error Category and Comprehension Difficulty. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2015; 12:14445-60. [PMID: 26580634 PMCID: PMC4661659 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph121114445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Revised: 11/04/2015] [Accepted: 11/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Proofreading text relies on stored knowledge, language processing, and attentional resources. Age differentially affects these constituent abilities: while older adults maintain word knowledge and most aspects of language comprehension, language production and attention capacity are impaired with age. Research with young adults demonstrates that proofreading is more attentionally-demanding for contextual errors which require integration across multiple words compared to noncontextual errors which occur within a single word. Proofreading is also more attentionally-demanding for text which is more difficult to comprehend compared to easier text. Older adults may therefore be impaired at aspects of proofreading which require production, contextual errors, or more difficult text. The current study tested these possibilities using a naturalistic proofreading task. Twenty-four young and 24 older adults proofread noncontextual (spelling) and contextual (grammar or meaning) errors in passages that were easier or more difficult to comprehend. Older adults were preserved at proofreading spelling errors, but were impaired relative to young adults when proofreading grammar or meaning errors, especially for difficult passages. Additionally, older adults were relatively spared at detecting errors compared to correcting spelling errors, in keeping with previous research. Age differences were not attributable to individual differences in vocabulary knowledge or self-reported spelling ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith A Shafto
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK.
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120
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Eich TS, Rakitin BC, Stern Y. Response-Conflict Moderates the Cognitive Control of Episodic and Contextual Load in Older Adults. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2015. [PMID: 26224757 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbv046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Decline in cognitive control is one of the primary cognitive changes in normal aging. Reaching a consensus regarding the nature of these age-related changes, however, is complicated by the complexity of cognitive control as a construct. METHODS Healthy older and younger adults participated in a multifactorial test of cognitive control. Within participants, the procedure varied as a function of the amount contextual load, episodic load, and response-conflict load present. RESULTS We found that older adults showed impaired performance relative to younger adults. We also found, however, that the response selection process underlying the response-conflict manipulation was a major moderator of age-related differences in both the contextual and episodic load conditions-suggesting a hierarchical organization. DISCUSSION These findings are consistent with previous findings, suggesting that deficits in cognitive control in older adults are directly related to the resolution of response-conflict and that other apparent deficits may be derivative upon the more basic response-conflict related deficit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teal S Eich
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology and the Taub Institute, Columbia University, New York
| | - Brian C Rakitin
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology and the Taub Institute, Columbia University, New York
| | - Yaakov Stern
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology and the Taub Institute, Columbia University, New York.
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121
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Laguë-Beauvais M, Fraser SA, Desjardins-Crépeau L, Castonguay N, Desjardins M, Lesage F, Bherer L. Shedding light on the effect of priority instructions during dual-task performance in younger and older adults: A fNIRS study. Brain Cogn 2015; 98:1-14. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2015.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2013] [Revised: 10/04/2014] [Accepted: 05/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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122
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Patterns of frontoparietal activation as a marker for unsuccessful visuospatial processing in healthy aging. Brain Imaging Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s11682-015-9428-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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123
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Sherman SM, Mumford JA, Schnyer DM. Hippocampal activity mediates the relationship between circadian activity rhythms and memory in older adults. Neuropsychologia 2015. [PMID: 26205911 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Older adults experience parallel changes in sleep, circadian rhythms, and episodic memory. These processes appear to be linked such that disruptions in sleep contribute to deficits in memory. Although more variability in circadian patterns is a common feature of aging and predicts pathology, little is known about how alterations in circadian activity rhythms within older adults influence new episodic learning. Following 10 days of recording sleep-wake patterns using actigraphy, healthy older adults underwent fMRI while performing an associative memory task. The results revealed better associative memory was related to more consistent circadian activity rhythms, independent of total sleep time, sleep efficiency, and level of physical activity. Moreover, hippocampal activity during successful memory retrieval events was positively correlated with associative memory accuracy and circadian activity rhythm (CAR) consistency. We demonstrated that the link between consistent rhythms and associative memory performance was mediated by hippocampal activity. These findings provide novel insight into how the circadian rhythm of sleep-wake cycles are associated with memory in older adults and encourage further examination of circadian activity rhythms as a biomarker of cognitive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M Sherman
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, 108 E. Dean Keeton A8000, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Jeanette A Mumford
- Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Suite S119, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - David M Schnyer
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, 108 E. Dean Keeton A8000, Austin, TX 78712, USA; The Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, C7000, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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Xu X, Cao B, Wang J, Yu T, Li Y. Decision-making deficits associated with disrupted synchronization between basolateral amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex in rats after tooth loss. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2015; 60:26-35. [PMID: 25684327 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2015.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2015] [Accepted: 02/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
Human studies have shown that multiple teeth loss was significantly associated with cognitive impairment, dementia and Alzheimer's disease. However, the causal relationship between tooth loss and cognitive deficits has not been clarified. Rodents demonstrate human-like cognitive faculties. In this study by performing rat gambling task (RGT), we reported that prolonged tooth loss condition by extracting all left molars in the rats led to an increase in the proportion of poor decision-makers, and decrease in the proportion of good decision-makers compared with controls. No influence was detected on the general activity and motivation after tooth loss. Recent experiments have shown that decision-making performances in the RGT rely on the functional integrity of the amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). The theta band brain oscillation has been acknowledged for extensive cognitive functions. Here, we performed multiple-electrode array recordings of local field potential (LFP) in anesthetized rats. The results exhibited an increase in accumulative power of the theta frequency of LFP in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and decrease of theta power in the ACC in tooth loss rats. Furthermore, cross-correlation analysis displayed that tooth loss suppressed the synchronization of theta frequency of LFP between the BLA and ACC, indicating reduced neuronal communications between these two regions. In conclusion, we demonstrate for the first time that tooth loss leads to higher-order cognitive deficits accompanied by the alteration of theta frequency of LFP in brain circuitries and disruption of neural network integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiang Xu
- Department of Biomedical Science, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Bing Cao
- Department of Biomedical Science, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Biomedical Science, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tianran Yu
- Department of Biomedical Science, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Biomedical Science, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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Trezza BM, Apolinario D, de Oliveira RS, Busse AL, Gonçalves FLT, Saldiva PHN, Jacob-Filho W. Environmental heat exposure and cognitive performance in older adults: a controlled trial. AGE (DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS) 2015; 37:9783. [PMID: 25916595 PMCID: PMC4411310 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-015-9783-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2014] [Accepted: 04/15/2015] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Thermal stress has a negative effect on the cognitive performance of military personnel and industry workers exposed to extreme environments. However, no studies have investigated the effects of environmental thermal stress on the cognitive functions of older adults. We carried out a controlled trial with 68 healthy older adults (mean age 73.3 years, 69 % female), each of whom has been assessed twice on the same day with selected tests from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). Repeated sessions were conducted with air temperatures set at 24 °C and 32 °C in a balanced order. Our primary analyses did not show significant differences when comparing the cognitive performance of the total sample under the two experimental temperatures. However, interaction analysis has shown that humidity levels modify the effect of temperature on cognitive outcomes. The subgroup exposed to relative humidity greater than the median value (57.8 %) presented worse cognitive performance in the heat session when compared to the control session. Reported exercising frequency explained individual vulnerability to heat stress. Volunteers with lower levels of physical activity (<4 times per week) were more likely to present worsened cognitive performance under heat stress. In a fully adjusted linear regression model, the performance under heat stress remained associated with relative humidity (β = -0.21; p = 0.007) and frequency of exercising (β = 0.18; p = 0.020). Our results indicate that heat stress may have detrimental effects on the cognitive functioning of some subgroups of older adults and under particular circumstances. Further research is needed for exploring a variety of potentially influential factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Maria Trezza
- Division of Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, University of São Paulo Medical School, Av. Dr. Eneas de Carvalho Aguiar, 155, 8° Andar, Bloco 3, São Paulo, SP, 05403-900, Brazil,
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Schlader ZJ, Gagnon D, Adams A, Rivas E, Cullum CM, Crandall CG. Cognitive and perceptual responses during passive heat stress in younger and older adults. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2015; 308:R847-54. [PMID: 25786484 PMCID: PMC4436980 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00010.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 03/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
We tested the hypothesis that attention, memory, and executive function are impaired to a greater extent in passively heat-stressed older adults than in passively heat-stressed younger adults. In a randomized, crossover design, 15 older (age: 69 ± 5 yr) and 14 younger (age: 30 ± 4 yr) healthy subjects underwent passive heat stress and time control trials. Cognitive tests (outcomes: accuracy and reaction time) from the CANTAB battery evaluated attention [rapid visual processing (RVP), choice reaction time (CRT)], memory [spatial span (SSP), pattern recognition memory (PRM)], and executive function [one touch stockings of Cambridge (OTS)]. Testing was undertaken on two occasions during each trial, at baseline and after internal temperature had increased by 1.0 ± 0.2°C or after a time control period. For tests that measured attention, reaction time during RVP and CRT was slower (P ≤ 0.01) in the older group. During heat stress, RVP reaction time improved (P < 0.01) in both groups. Heat stress had no effect (P ≥ 0.09) on RVP or CRT accuracy in either group. For tests that measured memory, accuracy on SSP and PRM was lower (P < 0.01) in the older group, but there was no effect of heat stress (P ≥ 0.14). For tests that measured executive function, overall, accuracy on OTS was lower, and reaction time was slower in the older group (P ≤ 0.05). Reaction time generally improved during heat stress, but there was no effect of heat stress on accuracy in either group. These data indicate that moderate increases in body temperature during passive heat stress do not differentially compromise cognitive function in younger and older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary J Schlader
- Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas; Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
| | - Daniel Gagnon
- Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Amy Adams
- Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Eric Rivas
- Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas; Department of Kinesiology, Texas Woman's University, Denton, Texas; and
| | - C Munro Cullum
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Craig G Crandall
- Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas;
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Hakun JG, Zhu Z, Brown CA, Johnson NF, Gold BT. Longitudinal alterations to brain function, structure, and cognitive performance in healthy older adults: A fMRI-DTI study. Neuropsychologia 2015; 71:225-35. [PMID: 25862416 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2015] [Revised: 04/06/2015] [Accepted: 04/07/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Cross-sectional research has shown that older adults tend to have different frontal cortex activation patterns, poorer brain structure, and lower task performance than younger adults. However, relationships between longitudinal changes in brain function, brain structure, and cognitive performance in older adults are less well understood. Here we present the results of a longitudinal, combined fMRI-DTI study in cognitive normal (CN) older adults. A two time-point study was conducted in which participants completed a task switching paradigm while fMRI data was collected and underwent the identical scanning protocol an average of 3.3 years later (SD=2 months). We observed longitudinal fMRI activation increases in bilateral regions of lateral frontal cortex at time point 2. These fMRI activation increases were associated with longitudinal declines in WM microstructure in a portion of the corpus callosum connecting the increasingly recruited frontal regions. In addition, the fMRI activation increase in the left VLPFC was associated with longitudinal increases in response latencies. Taken together, our results suggest that local frontal activation increases in CN older adults may in part reflect a response to reduced inter-hemispheric signaling mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zude Zhu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, USA
| | | | | | - Brian T Gold
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, USA; Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Center, USA; Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
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Dupuy O, Gauthier CJ, Fraser SA, Desjardins-Crèpeau L, Desjardins M, Mekary S, Lesage F, Hoge RD, Pouliot P, Bherer L. Higher levels of cardiovascular fitness are associated with better executive function and prefrontal oxygenation in younger and older women. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:66. [PMID: 25741267 PMCID: PMC4332308 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2014] [Accepted: 01/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM Many studies have suggested that physical exercise training improves cognition and more selectively executive functions. There is a growing interest to clarify the neurophysiological mechanisms that underlie this effect. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the neurophysiological changes in cerebral oxygenation associated with physical fitness level and executive functions. METHOD In this study, 22 younger and 36 older women underwent a maximal graded continuous test (i.e., [Formula: see text]O2max ) in order to classify them into a fitness group (higher vs. lower fit). All participants completed neuropsychological paper and pencil testing and a computerized Stroop task (which contained executive and non-executive conditions) in which the change in prefrontal cortex oxygenation was evaluated with near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). RESULTS Our findings revealed a Fitness × Condition interaction (p < 0.05) such that higher fit women scored better on measures of executive functions than lower fit women. In comparison to lower fit women, higher fit women had faster reaction times in the Executive condition of the computerized Stroop task. No significant effect was observed in the non-executive condition of the test and no interactions were found with age. In measures of cerebral oxygenation (ΔHbT and ΔHbO2), we found a main effect of fitness on cerebral oxygenation during the Stroop task such that only high fit women demonstrated a significant increase in the right inferior frontal gyrus. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION Higher fit individuals who demonstrate better cardiorespiratory functions (as measured by [Formula: see text]O2max ) show faster reaction times and greater cerebral oxygenation in the right inferior frontal gyrus than women with lower fitness levels. The lack of interaction with age, suggests that good cardiorespiratory functions can have a positive impact on cognition, regardless of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Dupuy
- Centre PERFORM, Université ConcordiaMontreal, QC, Canada
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut de Gériatrie de MontréalMontreal, QC, Canada
- Laboratoire MOVE (EA6314), Faculté des Sciences du Sport de Poitiers, Université de PoitiersPoitiers, France
| | - Claudine J. Gauthier
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut de Gériatrie de MontréalMontreal, QC, Canada
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzig, Germany
| | - Sarah A. Fraser
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut de Gériatrie de MontréalMontreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Social Work, McGill UniversityMontreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Michèle Desjardins
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut de Gériatrie de MontréalMontreal, QC, Canada
- Departement de Physiologie, Université de MontréalMontreal, QC, Canada
| | - Said Mekary
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut de Gériatrie de MontréalMontreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Rick D. Hoge
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut de Gériatrie de MontréalMontreal, QC, Canada
- Departement de Physiologie, Université de MontréalMontreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Louis Bherer
- Centre PERFORM, Université ConcordiaMontreal, QC, Canada
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut de Gériatrie de MontréalMontreal, QC, Canada
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Pace-Schott EF, Spencer RMC. Sleep-dependent memory consolidation in healthy aging and mild cognitive impairment. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2015; 25:307-330. [PMID: 24652608 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2014_300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Sleep quality and architecture as well as sleep's homeostatic and circadian controls change with healthy aging. Changes include reductions in slow-wave sleep's (SWS) percent and spectral power in the sleep electroencephalogram (EEG), number and amplitude of sleep spindles, rapid eye movement (REM) density and the amplitude of circadian rhythms, as well as a phase advance (moved earlier in time) of the brain's circadian clock. With mild cognitive impairment (MCI) there are further reductions of sleep quality, SWS, spindles, and percent REM, all of which further diminish, along with a profound disruption of circadian rhythmicity, with the conversion to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Sleep disorders may represent risk factors for dementias (e.g., REM Behavior Disorder presages Parkinson's disease) and sleep disorders are themselves extremely prevalent in neurodegenerative diseases. Working memory , formation of new episodic memories, and processing speed all decline with healthy aging whereas semantic, recognition, and emotional declarative memory are spared. In MCI, episodic and working memory further decline along with declines in semantic memory. In young adults, sleep-dependent memory consolidation (SDC) is widely observed for both declarative and procedural memory tasks. However, with healthy aging, although SDC for declarative memory is preserved, certain procedural tasks, such as motor-sequence learning, do not show SDC. In younger adults, fragmentation of sleep can reduce SDC, and a normative increase in sleep fragmentation may account for reduced SDC with healthy aging. Whereas sleep disorders such as insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, and narcolepsy can impair SDC in the absence of neurodegenerative changes, the incidence of sleep disorders increases both with normal aging and, further, with neurodegenerative disease. Specific features of sleep architecture, such as sleep spindles and SWS are strongly linked to SDC. Diminution of these features with healthy aging and their further decline with MCI may account for concomitant declines in SDC. Notably these same sleep features further markedly decline, in concert with declining cognitive function, with the progression to AD. Therefore, progressive changes in sleep quality, architecture, and neural regulation may constitute a contributing factor to cognitive decline that is seen both with healthy aging and, to a much greater extent, with neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward F Pace-Schott
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA,
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Hakun JG, Zhu Z, Johnson NF, Gold BT. Evidence for reduced efficiency and successful compensation in older adults during task switching. Cortex 2014; 64:352-62. [PMID: 25614233 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2014.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2014] [Revised: 10/10/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Older adults often show different functional activation patterns than younger adults in prefrontal cortex (PFC) when performing cognitive control tasks. These differences include age-related increases in PFC activation magnitude and reorganized PFC functional connectivity (fC) patterns. However, it remains unclear whether age-related alterations in brain activation patterns reflect a positive mechanism (e.g., compensatory response) or a sign of brain dysfunction (e.g., reduced efficiency). Here we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare PFC activation magnitudes and PFC connectivity patterns between younger and older adult groups during performance of a task switching paradigm. Results indicated age-related increases both in PFC activation magnitudes and in PFC fC with inferotemporal (IT) regions. However, these age-related fMRI increases were differentially associated with task performance. Whereas increased PFC activation magnitudes tended to be either unrelated to task RT or associated with poorer task performance, increased PFC-IT connectivity was associated with better task performance in older adults. Our results suggest that age-related reductions in efficiency and successful compensation can co-exist in older adults in the context of the same task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan G Hakun
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Zude Zhu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Nathan F Johnson
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Brian T Gold
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA; Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA; Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
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132
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Koen JD, Yonelinas AP. Recollection, not familiarity, decreases in healthy ageing: Converging evidence from four estimation methods. Memory 2014; 24:75-88. [PMID: 25485974 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2014.985590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Although it is generally accepted that ageing is associated with recollection impairments, there is considerable disagreement surrounding how healthy ageing influences familiarity-based recognition. One factor that might contribute to the mixed findings regarding age differences in familiarity is the estimation method used to quantify the two mnemonic processes. Here, this issue is examined by having a group of older adults (N = 39) between 40 and 81 years of age complete remember/know (RK), receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) and process dissociation (PD) recognition tests. Estimates of recollection, but not familiarity, showed a significant negative correlation with chronological age. Inconsistent with previous findings, the estimation method did not moderate the relationship between age and estimates of recollection and familiarity. In a final analysis, recollection and familiarity were estimated as latent factors in a confirmatory factor analysis that modelled the covariance between measures of free recall and recognition, and the results converged with the results from the RK, PD and ROC tasks. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that episodic memory declines in older adults are primary driven by recollection deficits, and also suggest that the estimation method plays little to no role in age-related decreases in familiarity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua D Koen
- a Center for Vital Longevity , University of Texas at Dallas , TX , USA
| | - Andrew P Yonelinas
- b Department of Psychology , University of California , Davis , CA , USA
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Lin F, Heffner K, Mapstone M, Chen DG(D, Porsteisson A. Frequency of mentally stimulating activities modifies the relationship between cardiovascular reactivity and executive function in old age. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2014; 22:1210-21. [PMID: 23891367 PMCID: PMC3900591 DOI: 10.1016/j.jagp.2013.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2012] [Revised: 03/22/2013] [Accepted: 04/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Recent evidence suggests that younger and middle-age adults who show greater cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) to acute mental stress demonstrate better reasoning and memory skills. The purpose of this study was to examine whether older adults would exhibit a similar positive association between CVR and executive function and whether regular engagement in mentally stimulating activities (MSA) would moderate this association. DESIGN Secondary cross-sectional analysis. SETTING Three clinical research centers in the Midwest and on the West Coast and East Coast. PARTICIPANTS A total of 487 older adults participating in an ongoing national survey. MEASUREMENTS Heart rate (HR) and low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) domains of heart rate variability (HRV) were measured at baseline and in response to standard mental stress tasks (Stroop color word task and mental arithmetic). Executive function was measured separately from the stress tasks by using five neuropsychological tests. MSA was measured by self-reported frequency of six common MSA. RESULTS Higher HR reactivity was associated with better executive function after controlling for demographic and health characteristics and baseline HR, and the interaction between HR reactivity and MSA was significant for executive function. Higher LF-HRV reactivity was also associated with executive function, but subsequent analyses indicated that frequency of MSA was the strongest predictor of executive function in models that included LF-HRV or HF-HRV. CONCLUSIONS Higher HR reactivity to acute psychological stress is related to better executive function in older adults. For those with lower HR reactivity, engaging frequently in MSA produced compensatory benefits for executive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Lin
- School of Nursing, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY; Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY.
| | - Kathi Heffner
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester Medical Center
| | - Mark Mapstone
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester Medical Center
| | - Ding-Geng (Din) Chen
- School of Nursing, University of Rochester Medical Center,Department of Biostatistics and Computational Science, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester Medical Center
| | - Anton Porsteisson
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester Medical Center
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Koen JD, Yonelinas AP. The effects of healthy aging, amnestic mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer's disease on recollection and familiarity: a meta-analytic review. Neuropsychol Rev 2014; 24:332-54. [PMID: 25119304 PMCID: PMC4260819 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-014-9266-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2014] [Accepted: 07/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
It is well established that healthy aging, amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI), and Alzheimer's Disease (AD) are associated with substantial declines in episodic memory. However, there is still debate as to how two forms of episodic memory - recollection and familiarity - are affected by healthy and pathological aging. To address this issue we conducted a meta-analytic review of the effect sizes reported in studies using remember/know (RK), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and process dissociation (PD) methods to examine recollection and familiarity in healthy aging (25 published reports), aMCI (9 published reports), and AD (5 published reports). The results from the meta-analysis revealed that healthy aging is associated with moderate-to-large recollection impairments. Familiarity was not impaired in studies using ROC or PD methods but was impaired in studies that used the RK procedure. aMCI was associated with large decreases in recollection whereas familiarity only tended to show a decrease in studies with a patient sample comprised of both single-domain and multiple-domain aMCI patients. Lastly, AD was associated with large decreases in both recollection and familiarity. The results are consistent with neuroimaging evidence suggesting that the hippocampus is critical for recollection whereas familiarity is dependent on the integrity of the surrounding perirhinal cortex. Moreover, the results highlight the relevance of method selection when examining aging, and suggest that familiarity deficits might be a useful behavioral marker for identifying individuals that will develop dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua D Koen
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA,
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136
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Vaughan S, Wallis M, Polit D, Steele M, Shum D, Morris N. The effects of multimodal exercise on cognitive and physical functioning and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in older women: a randomised controlled trial. Age Ageing 2014; 43:623-9. [PMID: 24554791 DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afu010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE to test the effect of a 16-week multimodal exercise program on neurocognitive and physical functioning and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). DESIGN a single-blinded, parallel-group randomised controlled trial. SETTINGS university campus and community-based halls. SUBJECTS forty-nine women aged 65 to 75 years, with no cognitive impairment and not undertaking more than 1 h of formal exercise training per week. METHODS the intervention group attended a 60-min multimodal class twice each week which included cardiovascular, strength and motor fitness training. The primary outcome was neurocognitive functioning and secondary outcomes were physical functioning and plasma levels of BDNF. RESULTS twenty-five participants were randomised to the intervention group and 24 to the control group. One control participant withdrew before follow-up data collection. The intervention group performed significantly better than the control group at follow-up (when controlled for baseline) in the Trail Making test A and B, the California Older Adult Stroop test (Word, Interference and Total scores), Controlled Oral Word Association test and the Timed Up-and-Go test, Six-Minute Walk test, One-Legged Stance test and plasma BDNF. CONCLUSION this multimodal exercise program resulted in neurocognitive and physical performance improvements and increased levels of plasma BDNF, in older women, when compared with controls. This RCT provides evidence that a multimodal exercise intervention can achieve larger effect sizes than those generally resulting from single modality interventions. Increases in BDNF levels imply neurogenesis may be a component of the mechanism underpinning the cognitive improvements associated with multimodal exercise. TRIAL REGISTRATION Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registration Number: ANZCTR12612000451808.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sue Vaughan
- Griffith University, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, G02 Gold Coast Campus, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia
| | - Marianne Wallis
- University of the Sunshine Coast, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Sunshine Coast, QLD, Australia Griffith University, Research Centre for Health Practice Innovation, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Denise Polit
- Griffith University, Research Centre for Health Practice Innovation, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Mike Steele
- Griffith University, Graduate Research School, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia Mathematical and Computing Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Darussalam, Brunei
| | - David Shum
- Griffith University, Griffith Health Institute, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Norman Morris
- Griffith University, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, G02 Gold Coast Campus, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia
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137
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Squeglia LM, Boissoneault J, Van Skike CE, Nixon SJ, Matthews DB. Age-related effects of alcohol from adolescent, adult, and aged populations using human and animal models. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2014; 38:2509-16. [PMID: 25156779 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2013] [Accepted: 07/17/2014] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This review incorporates current research examining alcohol's differential effects on adolescents, adults, and aged populations in both animal and clinical models. METHODS The studies presented range from cognitive, behavioral, molecular, and neuroimaging techniques, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of how acute and chronic alcohol use affects the brain throughout the life span. RESULTS Age of life is a significant factor in determining the effect of alcohol on brain functioning. Adolescents and aged populations may be more negatively affected by heavy alcohol use when compared to adults. CONCLUSIONS Investigations limiting alcohol effects to a single age group constrains understanding of differential trajectories and outcomes following acute and chronic use. To meaningfully address the sequencing and interaction effects of alcohol and age, the field must incorporate collaborative and integrated research efforts focused on interdisciplinary questions facilitated by engaging basic and applied scientists with expertise in a range of disciplines including alcohol, neurodevelopment, and aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay M Squeglia
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California
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138
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Zhu Z, Hakun JG, Johnson NF, Gold BT. Age-related increases in right frontal activation during task switching are mediated by reaction time and white matter microstructure. Neuroscience 2014; 278:51-61. [PMID: 25130561 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.07.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2014] [Revised: 07/17/2014] [Accepted: 07/30/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Age-related increases in right frontal cortex activation are a common finding in the neuroimaging literature. However, neurocognitive factors contributing to right frontal over-recruitment remain poorly understood. Here we investigated the influence of age-related reaction time (RT) slowing and white matter (WM) microstructure reductions as potential explanatory factors for age-related increases in right frontal activation during task switching. Groups of younger (N=32) and older (N=33) participants completed a task switching paradigm while functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed, and rested while diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was performed. Two right frontal regions of interest (ROIs), the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and insula, were selected for further analyses from a common network of regions recruited by both age groups during task switching. Results demonstrated age-related activation increases in both ROIs. In addition, the older adult group showed longer RT and decreased fractional anisotropy in regions of the corpus callosum with direct connections to the fMRI ROIs. Subsequent mediation analyses indicated that age-related increases in right insula activation were mediated by RT slowing and age-related increases in right DLPFC activation were mediated by WM microstructure. Our results suggest that age-related RT slowing and WM microstructure declines contribute to age-related increases in right frontal activation during cognitive task performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Zhu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
| | - J G Hakun
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - N F Johnson
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - B T Gold
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
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139
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Bamidis P, Vivas A, Styliadis C, Frantzidis C, Klados M, Schlee W, Siountas A, Papageorgiou S. A review of physical and cognitive interventions in aging. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2014; 44:206-20. [PMID: 24705268 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 204] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2013] [Revised: 03/14/2014] [Accepted: 03/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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140
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The effects of nicotine on cognition are dependent on baseline performance. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2014; 24:1015-23. [PMID: 24766971 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2014.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2014] [Revised: 03/24/2014] [Accepted: 03/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Since cholinergic neurotransmission plays a major role in cognition, stimulation of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor may be a target for cognitive enhancement. While nicotine improves performance on several cognitive domains, results of individual studies vary. A possible explanation for these findings is that the effect of nicotine administration may be dependent on baseline cognitive function, where subjects with a suboptimal cognitive performance may benefit from nicotine, while subjects who already perform optimally may show a decline in performance after nicotinic stimulation. We conducted a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled crossover trial, examining the effects of placebo, 1, and 2mg of nicotine on cognition in young (n=16, age 18-30 years) and healthy elderly (n=16, age 60-75 years) subjects. We hypothesised that the elderly would benefit more from nicotine compared to young subjects, as normal ageing is associated with decreases in cognitive function. Attention, working memory, visual memory, information-processing speed, psychomotor function, stereotypy, and emotion recognition were assessed. Compared to the young volunteers, the elderly performed significantly worse on psychomotor function and emotion recognition in the placebo condition. Nicotine had no effect in the young volunteers and decreased performance on working memory and visual memory in the elderly. Contrary to our hypothesis, the effect of nicotine was dependent on baseline performance in both the groups, with subjects with lower baseline performance benefiting from nicotine administration, while those with higher baseline performance performed worse after nicotine administration. This suggests that subjects with lower cognitive performance, irrespective of age, may benefit from nicotine.
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141
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Müller VI, Langner R, Cieslik EC, Rottschy C, Eickhoff SB. Interindividual differences in cognitive flexibility: influence of gray matter volume, functional connectivity and trait impulsivity. Brain Struct Funct 2014; 220:2401-14. [PMID: 24878823 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-014-0797-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2013] [Accepted: 05/11/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility, a core aspect of executive functioning, is required for the speeded shifting between different tasks and sets. Using an interindividual differences approach, we examined whether cognitive flexibility, as assessed by the Delis-Kaplan card-sorting test, is associated with gray matter volume (GMV) and functional connectivity (FC) of regions of a core network of multiple cognitive demands as well as with different facets of trait impulsivity. The core multiple-demand network was derived from three large-scale neuroimaging meta-analyses and only included regions that showed consistent associations with sustained attention, working memory as well as inhibitory control. We tested to what extent self-reported impulsivity as well as GMV and resting-state FC in this core network predicted cognitive flexibility independently and incrementally. Our analyses revealed that card-sorting performance correlated positively with GMV of the right anterior insula, FC between bilateral anterior insula and midcingulate cortex/supplementary motor area as well as the impulsivity dimension "Premeditation." Importantly, GMV, FC and impulsivity together accounted for more variance of card-sorting performance than every parameter alone. Our results therefore indicate that various factors contribute individually to cognitive flexibility, underlining the need to search across multiple modalities when aiming to unveil the mechanisms behind executive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika I Müller
- Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany,
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142
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Abstract
Nuts are rich in many nutrients that can benefit multiple cardiometabolic functions, including arterial compliance, blood pressure, inflammation, glucoregulation and endothelial vasodilatation. Impaired vasodilatation may contribute to impaired cognitive performance due to poor cerebral perfusion. The present narrative review examines associations between nut consumption, vascular health and cognitive function. It includes a systematic search which identified seventy-one epidemiological or intervention studies in which effects of chronic nut consumption on blood pressure, glucoregulation, endothelial vasodilator function, arterial compliance, inflammatory biomarkers and cognitive performance were evaluated. Weighted mean changes were estimated where data were available; they indicate that nut consumption reduces blood pressure and improves glucoregulation, endothelial vasodilator function and inflammation, whilst a limited number of studies suggest that nut consumption may also improve cognitive performance. Further clinical trials are warranted to explore relationships between nut consumption, endothelial function and cognitive function.
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143
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Dubal DB, Yokoyama JS, Zhu L, Broestl L, Worden K, Wang D, Sturm VE, Kim D, Klein E, Yu GQ, Ho K, Eilertson KE, Yu L, Kuro-o M, De Jager PL, Coppola G, Small GW, Bennett DA, Kramer JH, Abraham CR, Miller BL, Mucke L. Life extension factor klotho enhances cognition. Cell Rep 2014; 7:1065-76. [PMID: 24813892 PMCID: PMC4176932 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2014.03.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 196] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2013] [Revised: 01/10/2014] [Accepted: 03/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging is the primary risk factor for cognitive decline, an emerging health threat to aging societies worldwide. Whether anti-aging factors such as klotho can counteract cognitive decline is unknown. We show that a lifespan-extending variant of the human KLOTHO gene, KL-VS, is associated with enhanced cognition in heterozygous carriers. Because this allele increased klotho levels in serum, we analyzed transgenic mice with systemic overexpression of klotho. They performed better than controls in multiple tests of learning and memory. Elevating klotho in mice also enhanced long-term potentiation, a form of synaptic plasticity, and enriched synaptic GluN2B, an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) subunit with key functions in learning and memory. Blockade of GluN2B abolished klotho-mediated effects. Surprisingly, klotho effects were evident also in young mice and did not correlate with age in humans, suggesting independence from the aging process. Augmenting klotho or its effects may enhance cognition and counteract cognitive deficits at different life stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dena B Dubal
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
| | - Jennifer S Yokoyama
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Lei Zhu
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Lauren Broestl
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Kurtresha Worden
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Dan Wang
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Virginia E Sturm
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Daniel Kim
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Eric Klein
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
| | - Gui-Qiu Yu
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Kaitlyn Ho
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | | | - Lei Yu
- Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Makoto Kuro-o
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Center for Molecular Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi 329-0498, Japan
| | - Philip L De Jager
- Program in Translational NeuroPsychiatric Genomics, Institute for Neurosciences, Departments of Neurology & Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Giovanni Coppola
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
| | - Gary W Small
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
| | - David A Bennett
- Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Joel H Kramer
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Carmela R Abraham
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Bruce L Miller
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Lennart Mucke
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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Hankee LD, Preis SR, Beiser AS, Devine SA, Liu Y, Seshadri S, Wolf PA, Au R. Qualitative neuropsychological measures: normative data on executive functioning tests from the Framingham offspring study. Exp Aging Res 2014; 39:515-35. [PMID: 24151914 DOI: 10.1080/0361073x.2013.839029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED BACKGROUND/STUDY CONTEXT: Studies have found that executive functioning is affected early in the pathophysiological processes associated with Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. There also exists a range of functioning on executive tasks during normal aging. Although qualitative data are commonly utilized in clinical practice for evaluating subtle changes in cognitive functioning and diagnostic discernment, it is not clear whether error responses used in clinical practice are also evident as normative behavior. METHODS As part of an extensive battery of neuropsychological tests, executive functioning measures (i.e., Trail Making Test Part B, Similarities and Verbal Fluency tests) were administered via standardized administration prescript. Regression analyses were used to determine associations between vascular aging indices and qualitative performance measures. Descriptive statistics are included for 1907 cognitively normal individuals. RESULTS Results suggest that although qualitative errors do occur, they are relatively infrequent within a presumably cognitively normal sample. Error commission rates on executive functioning tests are significantly associated with both age and education. CONCLUSION Provided is a baseline profile of errors committed on tests of executive function across a range of age and educational levels. The normative data sets are included, stratified by age and educational achievement, for which to compare qualitative test performance of clinical and research populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa D Hankee
- a Boston University School of Medicine , Boston , Massachusetts , USA
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145
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Bowling AC, Lindsay P, Smith BG, Storok K. Saccadic eye movements as indicators of cognitive function in older adults. AGING NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2014; 22:201-19. [DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2014.901290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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146
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Branco LD, Cotrena C, Pereira N, Kochhann R, Fonseca RP. Verbal and visuospatial executive functions in healthy elderly: The impact of education and frequency of reading and writing. Dement Neuropsychol 2014; 8:155-161. [PMID: 29213897 PMCID: PMC5619123 DOI: 10.1590/s1980-57642014dn82000011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To assess the predictive role of education and frequency of reading and
writing habits (FRWH) on the cognitive flexibility, inhibition and planning
abilities of healthy elderly individuals. Methods Fifty-seven healthy adults aged between 60 and 75 years with 2 to 23 years of
formal education were assessed as to the frequency with which they read and
wrote different types of text, as well as their number of years of formal
education. Executive functions were evaluated using the Hayling Test and the
Modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (MWCST). Results Weak to moderate positive correlations were found between education, FRWH and
the number of categories completed in the MWCST, while negative correlations
were identified between these variables and the number of perseverative and
non-perseverative errors on the task. Only the FRWH was significantly
correlated with the number of failures to maintain set. Speed and accuracy
on the Hayling Test were only correlated with participant education. Both
education and FRWH significantly predicted performance on the MWCST, and the
combination of these two variables had a greater predictive impact on
performance on this task than either of the two variables alone. Variability
in scores on the Hayling Test was best accounted for by participant
education. Conclusion In this sample of elderly subjects, cognitive flexibility was sufficiently
preserved to allow for adequate performance on verbal tasks, but may have
benefitted from the additional stimulation provided by regular reading and
writing habits and by formal education in the performance of more complex
non-verbal tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Damiani Branco
- Graduate Psychology Program - Department of Psychology - Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul - PUCRS. Porto Alegre, RS - Brazil
| | - Charles Cotrena
- Graduate Psychology Program - Department of Psychology - Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul - PUCRS. Porto Alegre, RS - Brazil
| | - Natalie Pereira
- Graduate Psychology Program - Department of Psychology - Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul - PUCRS. Porto Alegre, RS - Brazil
| | - Renata Kochhann
- Graduate Psychology Program - Department of Psychology - Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul - PUCRS. Porto Alegre, RS - Brazil
| | - Rochele Paz Fonseca
- Graduate Psychology Program - Department of Psychology - Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul - PUCRS. Porto Alegre, RS - Brazil
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Callahan BL, Belleville S, Ferland G, Potvin O, Tremblay MP, Hudon C, Macoir J. Normative data for a computer-assisted version of the auditory three-consonant Brown-Peterson paradigm in the elderly French-Quebec population. Clin Neuropsychol 2014; 28:317-32. [PMID: 24498960 DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2013.873082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The Brown-Peterson task is used to assess verbal short-term memory as well as divided attention. In its auditory three-consonant version, trigrams are presented to participants who must recall the items in correct order after variable delays, during which an interference task is performed. The present study aimed to establish normative data for this test in the elderly French-Quebec population based on cross-sectional data from a retrospective, multi-center convenience sample. A total of 595 elderly native French-speakers from the province of Quebec performed the Memoria version of the auditory three-consonant Brown-Peterson test. For both series and item-by-item scoring methods, age, education, and, in most cases, recall after a 0-second interval were found to be significantly associated with recall performance after 10-second, 20-second, and 30-second interference intervals. Based on regression model results, equations to calculate Z scores are presented for the 10-second, 20-second and 30-second intervals and for each scoring method to allow estimation of expected performance based on participants' individual characteristics. As an important ceiling effect was observed at the 0-second interval, norms for this interference interval are presented in percentiles.
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148
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Age-related laterality shifts in auditory and attention networks with normal ageing: Effects on a working memory task. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.npbr.2013.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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149
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Selections from the Current Literature. J Am Dent Assoc 2013. [DOI: 10.14219/jada.archive.2013.0058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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150
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Sadagopan N, Smith A. Age differences in speech motor performance on a novel speech task. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2013; 56:1552-1566. [PMID: 24023373 DOI: 10.1044/1092-4388(2013/12-0293)] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The study was aimed at characterizing age-related changes in speech motor performance on a nonword repetition task as a function of practice and nonword length and complexity. METHOD Nonword repetition accuracy, lip aperture coordination, and nonword production durations were assessed on 2 consecutive days for 16 young and 16 elderly participants for the production of 6 novel nonwords increasing in length and complexity. RESULTS The effect of age on the ability to accurately and rapidly repeat long, complex nonwords was significant. However, the authors found no differences between the speech motor coordinative patterns of young and elderly adults. Further, the authors demonstrated age- and nonword-specific within- and between-session gains in speech motor performance. CONCLUSIONS The authors speculate that cognitive, sensory, and motor factors interact in complex ways in elderly individuals to produce individual differences in nonword repetition ability at the levels of both behavioral and speech motor performance.
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