Investigating age-related changes in anterior and posterior neural activity throughout the information processing stream.

摘要: Event-related potential (ERP) and other functional imaging studies often demonstrate age-related increases in anterior neural activity decreases posterior while subjects carry out task demands. It remains unclear whether this "anterior shift" is limited to late cognitive operations like those indexed by the P3 component, or evident during stages of information processing. The temporal resolution ERPs provided an opportunity address issue. Temporospatial principal component analysis (PCA) was used identify underlying components that may be obscured overlapping ERP waveforms. were measured a visual oddball 26 young, middle-aged, 29 old who well-matched for IQ, executive function, education, performance. PCA identified six factors peaking between ∼140 ms 810 ms, four ∼300 ms. There increase amplitude ∼200 500 age-associated decrease after ∼500 processing began as early middle-age, sustained throughout age, appeared linear nature. These results suggest occur sensory has taken place, are most prominent period which attention being marshaled evaluate stimulus. In contrast, manifest involved stimulus categorization, post-decision monitoring, preparation upcoming event.