Compensatory neural activity distinguishes different patterns of normal cognitive aging.

ABSTRACT: Most cognitive neuroscientific research exploring the nature of age-associated compensatory mechanisms has compared old adults (high vs. average performers) to young adults (not split by performance), leaving ambiguous whether findings are truly age-related or reflect differences between high and average performers throughout the life span. Here, we examined differences in neural activity (as measured by ERPs) that were generated by high vs. average performing old, middle-age, and young adults while processing novel and target events to investigate the following three questions: (1) Are differences between cognitively high and average performing subjects in the allocation of processing resources (as indexed by P3 amplitude) specific to old subjects, or found throughout the adult life span?

SUBMITTER: Riis JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2219544 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature