COMPENSATORY NEURAL ACTIVITY DISTINGUISHES DIFFERENT PATTERNS OF NORMAL COGNITIVE AGING

摘要: Most cognitive neuroscientific research exploring the nature of age-associated compensatory mechanisms has compared old adults (high vs. average performers) to young (not split by performance), leaving ambiguous whether findings are truly age-related or reflect differences between high and performers throughout life span. Here, we examined in neural activity (as measured ERPs) that were generated performing old, middle-age, while processing novel target events investigate following three questions: (1) Are cognitively subjects allocation resources indexed P3 amplitude) specific subjects, found adult span? (2) speed latency) similar magnitude (3) Where along information stream does attributed begin take place? Our results suggest successfully manage task a mechanism associated with modulation controlled more resources, whereas younger execute efficiently fewer resources. Differences increase age. Middle-age seems be critical stage which substantial emerge. These provide strong evidence for different patterns changes salient environmental stimuli, status serving as key mediating variable.