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Nippert KE, Rowland CP, Vazey EM, Moorman DE. Alcohol, flexible behavior, and the prefrontal cortex: Functional changes underlying impaired cognitive flexibility. Neuropharmacology 2024; 260:110114. [PMID: 39134298 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.110114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 08/08/2024] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/22/2024]
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility enables individuals to alter their behavior in response to changing environmental demands, facilitating optimal behavior in a dynamic world. The inability to do this, called behavioral inflexibility, is a pervasive behavioral phenotype in alcohol use disorder (AUD), driven by disruptions in cognitive flexibility. Research has repeatedly shown that behavioral inflexibility not only results from alcohol exposure across species but can itself be predictive of future drinking. Like many high-level executive functions, flexible behavior requires healthy functioning of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The scope of this review addresses two primary themes: first, we outline tasks that have been used to investigate flexibility in the context of AUD or AUD models. We characterize these based on the task features and underlying cognitive processes that differentiate them from one another. We highlight the neural basis of flexibility measures, focusing on the PFC, and how acute or chronic alcohol in humans and non-human animal models impacts flexibility. Second, we consolidate findings on the molecular, physiological and functional changes in the PFC elicited by alcohol, that may contribute to cognitive flexibility deficits seen in AUD. Collectively, this approach identifies several key avenues for future research that will facilitate effective treatments to promote flexible behavior in the context of AUD, to reduce the risk of alcohol related harm, and to improve outcomes following AUD. This article is part of the Special Issue on "PFC circuit function in psychiatric disease and relevant models".
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn E Nippert
- Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Courtney P Rowland
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Elena M Vazey
- Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA; Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
| | - David E Moorman
- Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
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Henderson SE, Ryan AD, Atack LW, Campbell K. Model-based Mind Wandering in Older Adults: Age Differences in the Behavioral and Electrophysiological Correlates of Subjective and Objective Measures of Mind Wandering. J Cogn Neurosci 2024; 36:2029-2044. [PMID: 38820559 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Mind wandering is typically characterized as a failure of attentional control, yet despite age-related executive function deficits, older adults typically report less mind wandering than younger adults during cognitive tasks and in daily life. Self-reported mind wandering episodes usually result in similar behavioral detriments in younger and older adults (e.g., greater RT variability, more task errors). However, the relatively few studies investigating the neural correlates of mind wandering and aging have revealed mixed findings, possibly because they typically rely on infrequent thought probes and, therefore, few trials for neural analyses. In the current study, we propose a method to recover more task data by categorizing trials from a commonly used sustained attention to response task according to RT variability. Behavioral data (n = 49 younger; n = 40 older) revealed that compared with younger adults, older adults reported fewer mind wandering episodes, but showed similar behavioral impacts thereof. Furthermore, in both age groups, subjective reports of mind wandering predicted the more objective sorting of trials into "on-" and "off-task" according to RT variability. Using these objectively sorted trials, we investigated two commonly reported EEG measures of mind wandering (diminished P1 and P3 amplitude) in 26 younger and 24 older adults. Although the P1 did not differ between on- and off-task trials for either group, the P3 was diminished for off-task trials in both age groups (albeit significantly less in older adults) suggesting preserved perceptual but reduced higher-order processing during off-task periods in both groups.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - A Dawn Ryan
- Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Luke W Atack
- Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
- McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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3
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Breton J, Foret JT, Hamlin AM, Ortega N, Clark AL. Health insurance coverage moderates the relationship between metabolic syndrome and baseline memory outcomes in Latino older adults. Clin Neuropsychol 2024:1-16. [PMID: 39158158 DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2024.2392303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024]
Abstract
Objective: Latino adults are at increased risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and have lower rates of health insurance (HI) coverage. Although inadequate HI coverage and MetS have been independently linked to poor cognition, their potential interactive effects have not yet been examined. The present study explored whether HI moderated the association between MetS and cognition. We hypothesized that Latinos with MetS that did not have HI would demonstrate poorer cognition than those with HI, whereas there would be minimal differences in cognition across HI status in those without MetS. Methods: Cross-sectional data from 805 Latino older adults enrolled in the Health and Aging Brain Study-Health Disparities was utilized. Analysis of covariance adjusting for sociodemographics examined MetS x HI interactions on memory and attention/executive functions composites. Results: Results revealed a significant MetS x HI interaction on memory (F = 4.33, p = 0.037, ηp2 = .01); Latino adults with MetS and no HI coverage had worse memory performance than those with MetS who had HI coverage (p = 0.022, ηp2 = .01), whereas there was no significant difference in memory between HI coverage groups in those without MetS (p > .05, ηp2 = .002). No MetS x HI interaction was observed for the attention/executive functions composite (F = 0.29, p = 0.588, ηp2 < .001). Conclusion: Latino older adults with MetS that do not have HI coverage may be at risk for poorer memory outcomes. Increasing the accessibility of HI coverage may help reduce cognitive health disparities in Latino older adults with vascular health comorbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordana Breton
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Janelle T Foret
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Abbey M Hamlin
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Nazareth Ortega
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Alexandra L Clark
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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Allbritton D, Gómez P, Angele B, Vasilev M, Perea M. Breathing Life Into Meta-Analytic Methods. J Cogn 2024; 7:61. [PMID: 39072210 PMCID: PMC11276543 DOI: 10.5334/joc.389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Meta-analyses have become indispensable in the behavioral sciences, combining and summarizing data from multiple studies. While they offer many advantages (e.g., increased power, higher generality, and resolving conflicting findings), they currently only provide a snapshot at a given point. In active research areas, frequent meta-analytic updates are necessary to incorporate new evidence. We propose guidelines for live, dynamic meta-analyses and introduce an accessible tool using the R environment. Our app, powered by the Shiny package, enables the meta-analyst to integrate evidence interactively as an update of an existing meta-analysis or from scratch (i.e., a new meta-analysis). By embracing dynamic meta-analyses and leveraging modern tools, researchers can ensure up-to-date meta-analyses in their respective fields.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pablo Gómez
- Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA
- CSUSB –Palm Desert Campus, Palm Desert, CA, USA
| | - Bernhard Angele
- Universidad Nebrija, Madrid, Spain
- Bournemouth University, Poole, UK
| | | | - Manuel Perea
- Universidad Nebrija, Madrid, Spain
- Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
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Chu CH, Kao SC, Hillman CH, Chen FT, Li RH, Ai JY, Chang YK. The influence of volume-matched acute aerobic exercise on inhibitory control in late-middle-aged and older adults: A neuroelectric study. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14393. [PMID: 37493060 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Acute aerobic exercise has been shown to benefit inhibitory control; however, less attention has been devoted to the effects of varying intensity and duration with a predetermined exercise volume. The current study assessed the influence of three distinct exercise conditions, each equated with a predesignated exercise volume but varied in terms of exercise durations and intensities, on inhibitory control utilizing both behavioral and neuroelectric measures obtained among late-middle-aged and older adults. Thirty-four adults (61.76 ± 0.80 years) completed three exercise conditions [i.e., a 30-min low-intensity exercise (LIE), a 20-min moderate-intensity exercise (MIE), and a 16-min high-intensity exercise (HIE)] and a non-exercise reading control condition (CON) on separate days. The exercise volumes of LIE and HIE were designed to match the exercise volume of MIE. Following cessation of each condition, the Stroop task was performed while event-related potentials were recorded. Improved behavioral performance (i.e., shorter response time, higher accuracy, and smaller interference scores) was observed after LIE, MIE, and HIE than CON (ps < .005). Additionally, whereas a larger P3b amplitude was only observed following MIE compared to CON (p < .01), larger N2 and smaller N450 amplitudes were observed following all three exercise conditions compared to CON (ps < .005). These findings suggested that while MIE may provide additional benefits for attentional resource allocation, exercise conditions volume matched to MIE resulted in superior inhibitory control, paralleled by modulations of the neural underpinnings of conflict monitoring/detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chien-Heng Chu
- Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Chun Kao
- Department of Health and Kinesiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Charles H Hillman
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Physical Therapy, Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Feng-Tzu Chen
- Department of Sports Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Ruei-Hong Li
- Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jing-Yi Ai
- Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Kai Chang
- Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute for Research Excellence in Learning Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Social Emotional Education and Development Center, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
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Torenvliet C, Groenman AP, Lever AG, Ridderinkhof KR, Geurts HM. Prepotent response inhibition in autism: Not an inhibitory deficit? Cortex 2023; 166:275-285. [PMID: 37437321 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Research outcomes on prepotent response inhibition in neurodevelopmental conditions during adulthood seem inconsistent, especially in autism. To gain further insight in these inconsistencies, the current study investigates inhibitory performance, as well as task strategies such as adaptive behavior during inhibitory tasks in autistic adults. As Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is often co-occurring in autism and associated with differences in both inhibition and adaptation, the role of ADHD symptoms is explored. Additionally, prior research is extended to middle- and late-adulthood, and the role of cognitive aging is assessed. Hundred-and-five autistic adults and 139 non-autistic adults (age: 20-80 yrs) were compared on a Go-NoGo task. No significant group differences in inhibitory difficulties (commission errors) or adaptation (post error slowing) were observed, and both did not relate significantly to ADHD symptoms. However, when controlling for reaction time autistic individuals made significantly more inhibitory errors than non-autistic individuals, yet the effect size was modest (Cohen's d = .27). Exploratory analyses showed that adaption significantly related to inhibition in non-autistic individuals only, possibly hinting at altered adaptive behavior during inhibitory tasks in autistic adults. ADHD symptoms related to response variability in the autism group only. Furthermore, task strategy changed with older age in both groups, with slower and more cautious responses at older age. Taken together, although minor differences may exist, autistic and non-autistic people show largely similar patterns of inhibitory behavior throughout adulthood. Differences in task timing and strategy seem relevant for future longitudinal studies on cognitive aging across neurodevelopmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolien Torenvliet
- Dutch Autism & ADHD Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Annabeth P Groenman
- Dutch Autism & ADHD Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Research Institute Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Anne G Lever
- Dutch Autism & ADHD Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Hilde M Geurts
- Dutch Autism & ADHD Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Dr. Leo Kannerhuis, Autism Clinic (Youz/Parnassia Group), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Dexter M, Ossmy O. The effects of typical ageing on cognitive control: recent advances and future directions. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1231410. [PMID: 37577352 PMCID: PMC10416634 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1231410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive control is one of the most fundamental aspects of human life. Its ageing is an important contemporary research area due to the needs of the growing ageing population, such as prolonged independence and quality of life. Traditional ageing research argued for a global decline in cognitive control with age, typically characterised by slowing processing speed and driven by changes in the frontal cortex. However, recent advances questioned this perspective by demonstrating high heterogeneity in the ageing data, domain-specific declines, activity changes in resting state networks, and increased functional connectivity. Moreover, improvements in neuroimaging techniques have enabled researchers to develop compensatory models of neural reorganisation that helps negate the effects of neural losses and promote cognitive control. In this article on typical ageing, we review recent behavioural and neural findings related to the decline in cognitive control among older adults. We begin by reviewing traditional perspectives and continue with how recent work challenged those perspectives. In the discussion section, we propose key areas of focus for future research in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ori Ossmy
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
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Rajesh A, Betzel R, Daugherty AM, Noice T, Noice H, Baniqued PL, Voss MW, Kramer AF. Evaluating brain modularity benefits of an acting intervention: a discriminant-analysis framework. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1114804. [PMID: 37213930 PMCID: PMC10192551 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1114804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Aging is associated with a reduction in brain modularity as well as aspects of executive function, namely, updating, shifting, and inhibition. Previous research has suggested that the aging brain exhibits plasticity. Further, it has been hypothesized that broad-based intervention models may be more effective in eliciting overall gains in executive function than interventions targeted at specific executive skills (e.g., computer-based training). To this end, we designed a 4-week theater-based acting intervention in older adults within an RCT framework. We hypothesized that older adults would show improvements in brain modularity and aspects of executive function, ascribed to the acting intervention. Materials and methods The participants were 179 adults from the community, aged 60-89 years and on average, college educated. They completed a battery of executive function tasks and resting state functional MRI scans to measure brain network modularity pre- and post-intervention. Participants in the active intervention group (n = 93) enacted scenes with a partner that involved executive function, whereas the active control group (n = 86) learned about the history and styles of acting. Both groups met two times/week for 75-min for 4 weeks. A mixed model was used to evaluate intervention effects related to brain modularity. Discriminant-analysis was used to determine the role of seven executive functioning tasks in discriminating the two groups. These tasks indexed subdomains of updating, switching, and inhibition. Discriminant tasks were subject to a logistic regression analysis to determine how post-intervention executive function performance interacted with changes in modularity to predict group membership. Results We noted an increase in brain modularity in the acting group, relative to pre-intervention and controls. Performance on updating tasks were representative of the intervention group. However, post-intervention performance on updating did not interact with the observed increase in brain modularity to distinguish groups. Conclusion An acting intervention can facilitate improvements in modularity and updating, both of which are sensitive to aging and may confer benefits to daily functioning and the ability to learn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aishwarya Rajesh
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
| | - Richard Betzel
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Ana M Daugherty
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Tony Noice
- Department of Theater and Dance, Elmhurst University, Elmhurst, IL, United States
| | - Helga Noice
- Department of Theater and Dance, Elmhurst University, Elmhurst, IL, United States
| | - Pauline L Baniqued
- USC Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development, Learning, and Education, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Michelle W Voss
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Arthur F Kramer
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
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Henry JD, Coundouris SP, Craik FIM, von Hippel C, Grainger SA. The cognitive tenacity of self-directed ageism. Trends Cogn Sci 2023:S1364-6613(23)00072-4. [PMID: 37147237 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Ageism refers to prejudice or discrimination based on a person's age. When ageism is directed at older people, it is unique in two ways: it is socially condoned in a manner that other types of prejudice are not, and the animus is eventually self-directed. Of central interest here is why ageism becomes self-directed in late adulthood, despite its potentially harmful personal costs. We present a cognitive model in which negative ageist beliefs become increasingly accessible and difficult to eliminate owing to broader developmental shifts in mentation. Given that these effects are contingent on our social environment, systemic changes in societal conceptions of age and aging are needed if we are to reduce vulnerability to self-directed ageism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie D Henry
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
| | - Sarah P Coundouris
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Courtney von Hippel
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Sarah A Grainger
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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McIlhiney P, Gignac GE, Ecker UKH, Kennedy BL, Weinborn M. Executive function and the continued influence of misinformation: A latent-variable analysis. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0283951. [PMID: 37018324 PMCID: PMC10075451 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Misinformation can continue to influence reasoning after correction; this is known as the continued influence effect (CIE). Theoretical accounts of the CIE suggest failure of two cognitive processes to be causal, namely memory updating and suppression of misinformation reliance. Both processes can also be conceptualised as subcomponents of contemporary executive function (EF) models; specifically, working-memory updating and prepotent-response inhibition. EF may thus predict susceptibility to the CIE. The current study investigated whether individual differences in EF could predict individual differences in CIE susceptibility. Participants completed several measures of EF subcomponents, including those of updating and inhibition, as well as set shifting, and a standard CIE task. The relationship between EF and CIE was then assessed using a correlation analysis of the EF and CIE measures, as well as structural equation modelling of the EF-subcomponent latent variable and CIE latent variable. Results showed that EF can predict susceptibility to the CIE, especially the factor of working-memory updating. These results further our understanding of the CIE's cognitive antecedents and provide potential directions for real-world CIE intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul McIlhiney
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Gilles E. Gignac
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Ullrich K. H. Ecker
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Briana L. Kennedy
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Michael Weinborn
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
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Idowu MI, Szameitat AJ. Executive function abilities in cognitively healthy young and older adults-A cross-sectional study. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:976915. [PMID: 36845657 PMCID: PMC9945216 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.976915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
A prominent feature of cognitive aging is the decline of executive function (EF) abilities. Numerous studies have reported that older adults perform poorer than younger adults in such tasks. In this cross-sectional study, the effect of age on four EFs, inhibition, shifting, updating, and dual-tasking, was examined in 26 young adults (mean 21.18 years) and 25 older adults (mean 71.56 years) with the utilization of a pair of tasks for each EF. The tasks employed for DT were the Psychological Refractory Period paradigm (PRP) and a modified test for everyday attention, for inhibition the Stroop and Hayling sentence completion test (HSCT), for shifting a task switching paradigm and the trail making test (TMT), and for updating the backward digit span (BDS) task and a n-back paradigm. As all participants performed all tasks, a further aim was to compare the size of the age-related cognitive decline among the four EFs. Age-related decline was observed in all four EFs in one or both of the tasks employed. The results revealed significantly poorer performance in the older adults in the response times (RTs) of the PRP effect, interference score of the Stroop, RT inhibition costs of the HSCT, RT and error-rate shifting costs of the task switching paradigm, and the error-rate updating costs of the n-back paradigm. A comparison between the rates of decline revealed numerical and statistically significant differences between the four EFs, with inhibition showing the greatest decline, followed by shifting, updating, and dual-tasking. Thus, we conclude that with age, these four EFs decline at different rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojitola I. Idowu
- Department of Life Sciences, Division of Psychology, Centre for Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience (CCN), College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, United Kingdom
| | - Andre J. Szameitat
- Department of Life Sciences, Division of Psychology, Centre for Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience (CCN), College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, United Kingdom
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Coemans S, Keulen S, Savieri P, Tsapkini K, Engelborghs S, Chrispeels N, Vandenborre D, Paquier P, Wilssens I, Declerck M, Struys E. Executive functions in primary progressive aphasia: A meta-analysis. Cortex 2022; 157:304-322. [PMID: 36395634 PMCID: PMC11161026 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Executive functions (EFs) refer to a set of cognitive processes, specifically shifting, inhibition, updating of working memory, and are involved in the cognitive control of behavior. Conflicting results have been reported regarding impairments of EFs in Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA). We performed a multi-level meta-analysis to confirm whether deficits of EFs exist in this population, focusing on a common EFs composite, and the components shifting, inhibition and updating separately. We included 141 studies that report on 294 EFs tasks. The overall mean weighted effect size was large (d = -1,28), indicating poorer EFs in PPA as compared to age-matched cognitively healthy controls. Differences between effect sizes of the EFs components were not significant, indicating all components are affected similarly. Overall, moderator analysis revealed that PPA variant and disease duration were significant moderators of performance, while task modality and years of education were not. The non-fluent/agrammatic PPA and the logopenic PPA variants were similarly affected, but the semantic variant was affected to a lesser extent. We discuss implications for clinical and research settings, and future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silke Coemans
- Brussels Centre for Language Studies (BCLS), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Stefanie Keulen
- Brussels Centre for Language Studies (BCLS), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Perseverence Savieri
- Interfaculty Center for Data Processing and Statistics (ICDS), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium; Biostatistics and Medical Informatics (BISI) Research Group, Department of Public Health, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Kyrana Tsapkini
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Cognitive Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sebastiaan Engelborghs
- Neuroprotection & Neuromodulation, Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium; Department of Neurology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Brussels, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Universiteit Antwerpen (UA), Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Nini Chrispeels
- Brussels Centre for Language Studies (BCLS), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Dorien Vandenborre
- Department of Speech and Language Pathology, Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Philippe Paquier
- Brussels Centre for Language Studies (BCLS), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium; Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium; Department of Translational Neurosciences (TNW), Universiteit Antwerpen (UA), Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ineke Wilssens
- Department of Speech and Language Pathology, Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Mathieu Declerck
- Brussels Centre for Language Studies (BCLS), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Esli Struys
- Brussels Centre for Language Studies (BCLS), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium; Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
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13
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Rotenberg S, Dawson DR. Characterizing Cognition in Everyday Life of Older Adults With Subjective Cognitive Decline. OTJR-OCCUPATION PARTICIPATION AND HEALTH 2022; 42:269-276. [PMID: 35499254 PMCID: PMC9459355 DOI: 10.1177/15394492221093310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Subjective cognitive decline (SCD), the subjective experience of
worsening cognition with no objective cognitive impairment, poses a
heightened risk for dementia. This study aimed to characterize
cognition in the everyday life of people with SCD, is crucial for
understanding and preventing further functional and cognitive decline.
One hundred and thirty-five older adults (age 70.7±6.7) with SCD were
assessed using functional-cognition measures: Multifactorial Memory
Questionnaire (MMQ), Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive
Function–Adult version (BRIEF-A), and Multiple Errands Test (MET). The
resulted showed that older adults with SCD reported lower memory
satisfaction (Hedges’s g = 0.41) on the MMQ, and
worse metacognition on the BRIEF-A (Hedges’s g =
0.63) compared with published normative data. They completed an
average of only 6/12 required tasks on the MET. The findings show
functional difficulties related to SCD and inform the development of
occupational therapy intervention for this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shlomit Rotenberg
- University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Deirdre R. Dawson
- University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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14
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Ward N, Menta A, Ulichney V, Raileanu C, Wooten T, Hussey EK, Marfeo E. The Specificity of Cognitive-Motor Dual-Task Interference on Balance in Young and Older Adults. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 13:804936. [PMID: 35087396 PMCID: PMC8786904 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.804936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Standing upright on stable and unstable surfaces requires postural control. Postural control declines as humans age, presenting greater risk of fall-related injury and other negative health outcomes. Secondary cognitive tasks can further impact balance, which highlights the importance of coordination between cognitive and motor processes. Past research indicates that this coordination relies on executive function (EF; the ability to control, maintain, and flexibly direct attention to achieve goals), which coincidentally declines as humans age. This suggests that secondary cognitive tasks requiring EF may exert a greater influence on balance compared to non-EF secondary tasks, and this interaction could be exaggerated among older adults. In the current study, we had younger and older adults complete two Surface Stability conditions (standing upright on stable vs. unstable surfaces) under varying Cognitive Load; participants completed EF (Shifting, Inhibiting, Updating) and non-EF (Processing Speed) secondary cognitive tasks on tablets, as well as a single task control scenario with no secondary cognitive task. Our primary balance measure of interest was sway area, which was measured with an array of wearable inertial measurement unit sensors. Replicating prior work, we found a main effect of Surface Stability with less sway on stable surfaces compared to unstable surfaces, and we found an interaction between Age and Surface Stability with older adults exhibiting significantly greater sway selectively on unstable surfaces compared to younger adults. New findings revealed a main effect of Cognitive Load on sway, with the single task condition having significantly less sway than two of the EF conditions (Updating and Shifting) and the non-EF condition (Processing Speed). We also found an interaction of Cognitive Load and Surface Stability on postural control, where Surface Stability impacted sway the most for the single task and two of the executive function conditions (Inhibition and Shifting). Interestingly, Age did not interact with Cognitive Load, suggesting that both age groups were equally impacted by secondary cognitive tasks, regardless the presence or type of secondary cognitive task. Taken together, these patterns suggest that cognitive demands vary in their impact on posture control across stable vs. unstable surfaces, and that EF involvement may not be the driving mechanism explaining cognitive-motor dual-task interference on balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Ward
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, United States
| | - Alekya Menta
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, United States
| | - Virginia Ulichney
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | | | - Thomas Wooten
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, United States
| | | | - Elizabeth Marfeo
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Tufts University, Medford, MA, United States
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15
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Grant A, Cassidy S. Exploring the relationship between psychological flexibility and self-report and task-based measures of cognitive flexibility. JOURNAL OF CONTEXTUAL BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcbs.2021.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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16
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Statsenko Y, Habuza T, Gorkom KNV, Zaki N, Almansoori TM, Al Zahmi F, Ljubisavljevic MR, Belghali M. Proportional Changes in Cognitive Subdomains During Normal Brain Aging. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:673469. [PMID: 34867263 PMCID: PMC8634589 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.673469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Neuroscience lacks a reliable method of screening the early stages of dementia. Objective: To improve the diagnostics of age-related cognitive functions by developing insight into the proportionality of age-related changes in cognitive subdomains. Materials and Methods: We composed a battery of psychophysiological tests and collected an open-access psychophysiological outcomes of brain atrophy (POBA) dataset by testing individuals without dementia. To extend the utility of machine learning (ML) classification in cognitive studies, we proposed estimates of the disproportional changes in cognitive functions: an index of simple reaction time to decision-making time (ISD), ISD with the accuracy performance (ISDA), and an index of performance in simple and complex visual-motor reaction with account for accuracy (ISCA). Studying the distribution of the values of the indices over age allowed us to verify whether diverse cognitive functions decline equally throughout life or there is a divergence in age-related cognitive changes. Results: Unsupervised ML clustering shows that the optimal number of homogeneous age groups is four. The sample is segregated into the following age-groups: Adolescents ∈ [0, 20), Young adults ∈ [20, 40), Midlife adults ∈ [40, 60) and Older adults ≥60 year of age. For ISD, ISDA, and ISCA values, only the median of the Adolescents group is different from that of the other three age-groups sharing a similar distribution pattern (p > 0.01). After neurodevelopment and maturation, the indices preserve almost constant values with a slight trend toward functional decline. The reaction to a moving object (RMO) test results (RMO_mean) follow another tendency. The Midlife adults group's median significantly differs from the remaining three age subsamples (p < 0.01). No general trend in age-related changes of this dependent variable is observed. For all the data (ISD, ISDA, ISCA, and RMO_mean), Levene's test reveals no significant changes of the variances in age-groups (p > 0.05). Homoscedasticity also supports our assumption about a linear dependency between the observed features and age. Conclusion: In healthy brain aging, there are proportional age-related changes in the time estimates of information processing speed and inhibitory control in task switching. Future studies should test patients with dementia to determine whether the changes of the aforementioned indicators follow different patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yauhen Statsenko
- Department of Radiology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.,Big Data Analytics Center, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Tetiana Habuza
- Big Data Analytics Center, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, College of Information Technology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Klaus Neidl-Van Gorkom
- Department of Radiology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Nazar Zaki
- Big Data Analytics Center, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, College of Information Technology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Taleb M Almansoori
- Department of Radiology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Fatmah Al Zahmi
- Department of Neurology, Mediclinic Middle East Parkview Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Clinical Science, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Milos R Ljubisavljevic
- Department of Radiology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Maroua Belghali
- College of Education, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
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17
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Predovan D, Berryman N, Lussier M, Comte F, Vu TTM, Villalpando JM, Bherer L. Assessment of the Relationship Between Executive Function and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Healthy Older Adults. Front Psychol 2021; 12:742184. [PMID: 34803824 PMCID: PMC8595132 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.742184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Associations between cardiorespiratory fitness and brain health in healthy older adults have been reported using a variety of cardiorespiratory fitness estimates (CRFe). Using commonly used methods to determine CRF, we assessed the relationship between CRFe and executive function performance. Healthy older adults (n = 60, mean age 68 years, 77% women), underwent three CRF tests: a Maximal Graded Exercise Test performed on a cycle ergometer, the Rockport Fitness Walking Test, and a Non-Exercise Prediction Equation. Executive function was assessed by a computerized cognitive assessment using an N-Back task (updating cost) and a Stroop task (interference cost, global and local switch cost). Multiple hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between different CRFe and executive function performance. Regardless of age and education, cardiorespiratory fitness estimated from the Maximal Graded Exercise Test and the Rockport Fitness Walking Test was significantly associated with the global switch cost. All CRFe were associated with the interference cost. No association was observed between CRFe and local switching costs or the updating costs. In the present study, not all subcomponents of executive function were related to CRFe. Interestingly, the executive functions that were associated with CRFe are those that are known to be the most affected by aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Predovan
- Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Centre de Recherche, Institut de Cardiologie de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Nicolas Berryman
- Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Département des Sciences de l'Activité Physique, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Maxime Lussier
- Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Département de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Francis Comte
- Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Thien Tuong Minh Vu
- Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Département de Médecine, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Service de Gériatrie, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Louis Bherer
- Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Centre de Recherche, Institut de Cardiologie de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Département de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,PERFORM Centre, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
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18
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Roy JC, Houvenaghel JF, Duprez J, Guillery M, Drapier D, Robert G. Dynamics of cognitive action control in late-life depression during action selection. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 143:276-284. [PMID: 34530338 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.09.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Late-Life Depression (LLD) is characterized by deficits in cognitive control. We investigated the effect of LLD on a subset of cognitive control functions, the Cognitive Action Control (CAC), distinguishing on-line and adaptive control. METHODS We compared LLD subjects (n = 31) and Healthy Controls (HC, n = 31) on their performance in a Simon task. The online congruency effect and adaptive effect were compared for reaction times (RT) and accuracy rates between the groups using mixed models. We applied distributional analyses of RT to differentiate the strength of impulsive action selection and the proficiency of selective action suppression. Finally, we measured correlations between the performances on the task and clinical scores of the LLD group. RESULTS LLD had increased error rates in congruent trials compared to HC. Conversely, the adaptive CAC was equivalent between the groups. Distributional analyses showed that the fastest actions were less led by pertinent information in LLD. This phenomenon was found exclusively for congruent trials preceded by non-congruent trials. On the other hand, LLD patients, when they take time, were better than HC to suppress selectively non-relevant information. No difference was observed for adaptation to the preceding condition. No association between behavioral measurements and clinical scores were found. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that LLD participants have a specific cognitive disturbance of CAC, showing less facilitation than HC in congruent situations. We propose that this originates in a difficulty in LLD patients in disengaging their attention from conflict situations, which is consistent with a biased CAC to aversive stimuli in depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Charles Roy
- Academic Psychiatry Department, Centre Hospitalier Guillaume Régnier, Rennes, France; Université Rennes 1, Campus Santé de Villejean, France.
| | - Jean-François Houvenaghel
- Neurology Department, Rennes University Hospital, Rennes, France; Behavior and Basal Ganglia Research Unit (EA4712), Université Rennes 1, Rennes, France
| | - Joan Duprez
- Univ Rennes, INSERM, LTSI -U1099, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Murielle Guillery
- Academic Psychiatry Department, Centre Hospitalier Guillaume Régnier, Rennes, France; Behavior and Basal Ganglia Research Unit (EA4712), Université Rennes 1, Rennes, France
| | - Dominique Drapier
- Academic Psychiatry Department, Centre Hospitalier Guillaume Régnier, Rennes, France; Université Rennes 1, Campus Santé de Villejean, France; Behavior and Basal Ganglia Research Unit (EA4712), Université Rennes 1, Rennes, France
| | - Gabriel Robert
- Academic Psychiatry Department, Centre Hospitalier Guillaume Régnier, Rennes, France; Université Rennes 1, Campus Santé de Villejean, France; Behavior and Basal Ganglia Research Unit (EA4712), Université Rennes 1, Rennes, France
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19
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Schroeter ML, Kynast J, Villringer A, Baron-Cohen S. Face Masks Protect From Infection but May Impair Social Cognition in Older Adults and People With Dementia. Front Psychol 2021; 12:640548. [PMID: 34489776 PMCID: PMC8418138 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.640548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic will have a high impact on older adults and people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Social cognition enables the understanding of another individual's feelings, intentions, desires and mental states, which is particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic. To prevent further spread of the disease face masks have been recommended. Although justified for prevention of this potentially devastating disease, they partly cover the face and hamper emotion recognition and probably mindreading. As social cognition is already affected by aging and dementia, strategies must be developed to cope with these profound changes of communication. Face masking even could accelerate cognitive decline in the long run. Further studies are of uppermost importance to address face masks' impact on social cognition in aging and dementia, for instance by longitudinally investigating decline before and in the pandemic, and to design compensatory strategies. These issues are also relevant for face masking in general, such as in medical surroundings—beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias L Schroeter
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University Hospital Leipzig, Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jana Kynast
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University Hospital Leipzig, Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Arno Villringer
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University Hospital Leipzig, Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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20
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Casagrande M, Agostini F, Favieri F, Forte G, Giovannoli J, Guarino A, Marotta A, Doricchi F, Martella D. Age-Related Changes in Hemispherical Specialization for Attentional Networks. Brain Sci 2021; 11:1115. [PMID: 34573137 PMCID: PMC8467709 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11091115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Many cognitive functions face a decline in the healthy elderly. Within the cognitive domains, both attentional processes and executive functions are impaired with aging. Attention includes three attentional networks, i.e., alerting, orienting, and executive control, showing a hemispheric lateralized pattern in adults. This lateralized pattern could play a role in modulating the efficiency of attentional networks. For these reasons, it could be relevant to analyze the age-related change of the hemispheric specialization of attentional networks. This study aims to clarify this aspect with a lateralized version of the Attentional Network Test for Interaction (ANTI)-Fruit. One hundred seventy-one participants took part in this study. They were divided in three age groups: youth (N = 57; range: 20-30); adults (N = 57; range 31-64), and elderly/older people (N = 57; range: 65-87). The results confirmed the previous outcomes on the efficiency and interactions among attentional networks. Moreover, an age-related generalized slowness was evidenced. These findings also support the hypothesis of a hemispheric asymmetry reduction in elderly/older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Casagrande
- Dipartimento di Psicologia Dinamica, Clinica e Salute, Università di Roma Sapienza, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Francesca Agostini
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Roma Sapienza, 00185 Roma, Italy; (F.A.); (F.F.); (G.F.); (J.G.); (A.G.); (F.D.)
| | - Francesca Favieri
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Roma Sapienza, 00185 Roma, Italy; (F.A.); (F.F.); (G.F.); (J.G.); (A.G.); (F.D.)
| | - Giuseppe Forte
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Roma Sapienza, 00185 Roma, Italy; (F.A.); (F.F.); (G.F.); (J.G.); (A.G.); (F.D.)
| | - Jasmine Giovannoli
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Roma Sapienza, 00185 Roma, Italy; (F.A.); (F.F.); (G.F.); (J.G.); (A.G.); (F.D.)
| | - Angela Guarino
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Roma Sapienza, 00185 Roma, Italy; (F.A.); (F.F.); (G.F.); (J.G.); (A.G.); (F.D.)
| | - Andrea Marotta
- Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), University of Granada, 18011 Granada, Spain;
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Granada, 53005 Granada, Spain
| | - Fabrizio Doricchi
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Roma Sapienza, 00185 Roma, Italy; (F.A.); (F.F.); (G.F.); (J.G.); (A.G.); (F.D.)
| | - Diana Martella
- Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades, Instituto de Estudios Sociales y Humanísticos, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago 7500912, Chile
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21
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Rieck JR, Baracchini G, Grady CL. Contributions of Brain Function and Structure to Three Different Domains of Cognitive Control in Normal Aging. J Cogn Neurosci 2021; 33:1811-1832. [PMID: 34375414 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive control involves the flexible allocation of mental resources during goal-directed behavior and comprises three correlated but distinct domains-inhibition, shifting, and working memory. The work of Don Stuss and others has demonstrated that frontal and parietal cortices are crucial to cognitive control, particularly in normal aging, which is characterized by reduced control mechanisms. However, the structure-function relationships specific to each domain and subsequent impact on performance are not well understood. In the current study, we examined both age and individual differences in functional activity associated with core domains of cognitive control in relation to fronto-parietal structure and task performance. Participants (n = 140, aged 20-86 years) completed three fMRI tasks: go/no-go (inhibition), task switching (shifting), and n-back (working memory), in addition to structural and diffusion imaging. All three tasks engaged a common set of fronto-parietal regions; however, the contributions of age, brain structure, and task performance to functional activity were unique to each domain. Aging was associated with differences in functional activity for all tasks, largely in regions outside common fronto-parietal control regions. Shifting and inhibition showed greater contributions of structure to overall decreases in brain activity, suggesting that more intact fronto-parietal structure may serve as a scaffold for efficient functional response. Working memory showed no contribution of structure to functional activity but had strong effects of age and task performance. Together, these results provide a comprehensive and novel examination of the joint contributions of aging, performance, and brain structure to functional activity across multiple domains of cognitive control.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Cheryl L Grady
- Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest.,University of Toronto
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22
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Knox PC, Liang D. Confirmation of age-related alterations in inhibitory control using a modified minimally delayed oculomotor response (MDOR) task. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11610. [PMID: 34178470 PMCID: PMC8214395 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Considerable effort has been made to measure and understand the effects of ageing on inhibitory control using a range of behavioural tasks. In the minimally delayed oculomotor response (MDOR) task, participants are presented with a simple visual target step with variable target display duration (TDD), and instructed to saccade to the target not when it appears (a prosaccade response), but when it disappears (i.e., on target offset). Using this task, we recently found higher error rates and longer latencies for correct responses in older compared to younger participants. Here we have used a modified MDOR task, in which participants were presented with static placeholders identifying potential target positions (increasing spatial information), and three TDDs rather than two (reducing temporal predictability). We found that the yield of analysable trials was generally higher with this modified task and in 28 older (mean ± SD age: 65 ± 7 y) and 25 younger (26 ± 7 y) participants the total overall error rate was again higher in the older group (30 ± 18% vs. 16 ± 11%). An analysis of the temporal distribution of responses demonstrated a pronounced peak in error production around 150 ms (young) or 200 ms (old) after target onset. When we recalculated the error rate focusing on these errors, it was again significantly higher in the older group. The latency of correct responses (to offsets) was significantly increased in the older group, although much of this increase was accounted for by expected age-related visuomotor slowing. However, both latency and distribution data suggested that while older participants could generate increased levels of inhibition, they could not maintain these levels as efficiently as the younger participants. In 24 participants (15 old, 9 young) who completed both versions of the MDOR task, neither latency nor error rates differed significantly between versions. These results confirm an inhibitory control deficit in healthy older participants, and suggest that the dynamics of inhibitory control are also affected by ageing. The modified MDOR task yields more data while not altering basic performance parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul C. Knox
- Department of Eye and Vision Science, Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Dongmei Liang
- Department of Eye and Vision Science, Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- School of Physical Education & Sports Science, National Demonstration Centre for Experimental Sports Science Education, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
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23
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Dozier ME, Ayers CR. Object attachment as we grow older. Curr Opin Psychol 2021; 39:105-108. [PMID: 32971323 PMCID: PMC7445186 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2020.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Extreme object attachment in adults can form as a way to compensate for a lack of interpersonal attachment or as a symptom of hoarding disorder; however, normative levels of object attachment also exist across the lifespan. Although the importance of secure interpersonal attachment as a protective factor for older adults has been well established, research into object attachment in older adults is still a nascent field. As individuals age, they inevitably experience a series of cognitive, emotional, and physical changes that may influence their attachment to objects. Life events may impact the way that we view our possessions, particularly over time. Given individual differences, multiple pathways may affect normative object attachment as we age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary E Dozier
- Department of Psychology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Catherine R Ayers
- Mental Healthcare Line, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA.
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24
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Martin-Willett R, Morris B, Wilcox R, Giordano G, Andrews-Hanna J, Banich M, Bryan AB. The influence of a 16-week exercise program, APOE status, and age on executive function task performance: A randomized trial. Exp Gerontol 2021; 152:111431. [PMID: 34062261 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2021.111431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has shown beneficial cognitive changes following exercise training in older adults. However, the work on the potential moderating effects of Apoliprotein E (APOE) ε4 carrier status has been mixed, and the role of exercise intensity remains largely unexplored. The present study sought to examine the influence of APOE ε4 status and exercise intensity on measures of cognitive performance in a group of older adults. Cross-sectional comparisons between a group of younger inactive adults (n = 44, age = 28.86 ± 0.473 SD, 60.5% female) and a group of older inactive adults (n = 142, age = 67.8 ± 5.4, 62.7% female) were made on baseline measurements of APOE ε4 status, VO2peak, and cognitive performance in the domain of executive functioning. The older adults also participated in a randomized controlled exercise trial, exercising three times per week for 16-weeks in either a low-intensity continuous training (LICT) group or a moderate-intensity continuous training plus interval training (MICT+IT) group at the Center for Health and Neuroscience, Genes, and Environment (CUChange) Exercise Laboratory. Follow-up measurements of VO2peak and cognitive performance were collected on the older adults after the exercise intervention. Cross-sectional comparisons between the older and younger adults demonstrated significant impairments among older adults in Stroop effect on error and time, Category Switch mixing effects, and Keep Track task. This impairment was not moderated by APOE ε4 carrier status. Improvements from pre- to post-exercise intervention were observed in both exercise groups in Stroop effect on error ([F (1, 256) = 9.381, p < 0.01, η2 = 0.031]) and Category Switch switching effect reaction time ([F(1, 274) = 4.442, p < 0.05, η2 = 0.020]), with no difference between exercise groups. The moderating effects of APOE ε4 carrier status were mixed. Exercise did not improve the Stroop effect on error among ε4 carriers assigned to MICT+IT when improvements were seen in all other groups. Further research is needed to examine the mechanisms of action by which exercise impacts cognitive task performance, and possible moderators such as genetic variability and exercise intensity.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Martin-Willett
- The University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States of America.
| | - B Morris
- The University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States of America
| | - R Wilcox
- The University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, United States of America
| | - G Giordano
- The University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States of America
| | - J Andrews-Hanna
- The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States of America
| | - M Banich
- The University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States of America
| | - A B Bryan
- The University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States of America
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25
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Rotenberg S, Leung C, Quach H, Anderson ND, Dawson DR. Occupational performance issues in older adults with subjective cognitive decline. Disabil Rehabil 2021; 44:4681-4688. [PMID: 33989108 DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2021.1916626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To describe and categorize difficulties in daily activities of older adults with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) compared to individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHODS Deductive quantitative content analysis was used to classify reported issues in the performance of meaningful daily activities, in older adults with SCD (n = 67; age= 70 ± 6.3) or MCI (n = 42; age= 72 ± 6.6). The occupational performance issues were identified using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, a semi-structured interview, and categorised using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). RESULTS Both groups identified issues in all nine ICF "Activities and Participation" domains, with no significant group effects on seven of them. The most frequently affected "Activities and Participation" domains in both groups were "Self-care" (e.g. exercise and diet); "Community, social and civic life" (e.g. social-leisure activities); and "General tasks and demands" (e.g. time management). Over 90% of the issues in both groups were described in the context of difficulties in "Mental functions" (e.g. memory and higher-level cognitive functions). CONCLUSIONS Older adults with SCD, although independent, identified a variety of daily activities that they are not performing satisfactorily, remarkably similar in nature to the occupational performance issues described by older adults with MCI.Implications for RehabilitationOlder adults with SCD identified difficulties in performing social and leisure activities, maintaining healthy lifestyle behaviours, and managing multiple daily tasks.The daily challenges described by older adults with SCD are similar in nature to those identified by those with MCI.Older adults with SCD and MCI describe their daily challenges are related not only to memory problems, but also to executive dysfunction.Interventions for older adults with SCD should aim to improve self-identified problems in everyday functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shlomit Rotenberg
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Calvin Leung
- Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Henry Quach
- Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Nicole D Anderson
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Canada.,Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Deirdre R Dawson
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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26
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Bernard JA, Nguyen AD, Hausman HK, Maldonado T, Ballard HK, Jackson TB, Eakin SM, Lokshina Y, Goen JRM. Shaky scaffolding: Age differences in cerebellar activation revealed through activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:5255-5281. [PMID: 32936989 PMCID: PMC7670650 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive neuroscience research has provided foundational insights into aging, but has focused primarily on the cerebral cortex. However, the cerebellum is subject to the effects of aging. Given the importance of this structure in the performance of motor and cognitive tasks, cerebellar differences stand to provide critical insights into age differences in behavior. However, our understanding of cerebellar functional activation in aging is limited. Thus, we completed a meta‐analysis of neuroimaging studies across task domains. Unlike in the cortex where an increase in bilateral activation is seen during cognitive task performance with advanced age, there is less overlap in cerebellar activation across tasks in older adults (OAs) relative to young. Conversely, we see an increase in activation overlap in OAs during motor tasks. We propose that this is due to inputs for comparator processing in the context of control theory (cortical and spinal) that may be differentially impacted in aging. These findings advance our understanding of the aging mind and brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Bernard
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA.,Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - An D Nguyen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA.,Department of Cognitive Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Hanna K Hausman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA.,Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Ted Maldonado
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Hannah K Ballard
- Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - T Bryan Jackson
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Sydney M Eakin
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Yana Lokshina
- Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - James R M Goen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
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Belghali M, Statsenko Y, Laver V. Stroop switching card test: brief screening of executive functions across the lifespan. AGING NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2020; 29:14-33. [PMID: 33161873 DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2020.1844865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to: (1) propose a novel version of the Stroop switching test, namely the Stroop Switching Card Test (SSCT), to assess the overall efficiency of executive functions (EF) and its underlying cognitive processes (conflict resolution and conflict adaptation); (2) examine the utility of the SSCT in the assessment of EF in different age groups (age range 15-75 years), compare its results with standard neuropsychological tests (SNT), and (3) examine the contribution of both the processing speed and cognitive reserve on the performance of all used tests. The SSCT showed more sensitivity to detect subtle executive dysfunction in the middle age (~50 years). Going further, the SSCT revealed a progressive decline in conflict adaptation over two life periods. The first period of decline started at ~50 years and the second at~ 65 years. The processing speed and cognitive reserve had a prominent role in our results, notably in SSCT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maroua Belghali
- INSERM, COMETE, GIP CYCERON, Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, Caen, Research Unit: Aging, Health & Diseases, Caen, France.,College of Education, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Yauhen Statsenko
- College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Vasyl Laver
- Department of Informative and Operating Systems and Technologies, Uzhhorod National University, Uzhhorod, Ukraine
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