Decreased activation of anterior cingulate cortex in the working memory of the elderly.

Full Abstract

We examined aging effects on activation in the anterior cingulate cortex during a verbal working memory using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Ten young (mean age 25 years) and 10 elderly (mean age 69 years) healthy adults performed the reading span test in which performance reflects individual differences in verbal working memory. We found an age-related difference in executive function in the prefrontal cortex; younger participants showed significant anterior cingulate cortex activation whereas the elderly did not. We found that the anterior cingulate cortex plays a critical role in executive function related to working memory. We found that behavioral deficits in verbal working memory because of aging result from the deterioration of cognitive control owing to decreased activation of the anterior cingulate cortex.

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Author information

Author/s: Otsuka, Yuki (Y); Osaka, Naoyuki (N); Morishita, Masanao (M); Kondo, Hirohito (H); Osaka, Mariko (M);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. yotsuka(-atsign-)bun.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Neuroreport (Neuroreport), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Oct; vol 17 (issue 14) : pp 1479-82

Dates: Created 2006/09/07; Completed 2006/12/12;

PMID: 16957592, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult
Age Factors
Aged
Brain Mapping
Geriatric Assessment
Gyrus Cinguli - blood supply; physiology
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods
Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods

Male
Memory, Short-Term - physiology
Neuropsychological Tests - statistics & numerical data
Oxygen - blood
Prefrontal Cortex - blood supply; physiology
Problem Solving - physiology
Reading
Recognition (Psychology) - physiology
Verbal Behavior - physiology

Associated Chemicals: Oxygen (7782-44-7)

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