Research article summary (published 30 May 2009):

Age-group differences in medial cortex activity associated with thinking about self-relevant agendas.

Full Abstract

In this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, we compared young and older adults' brain activity as they thought about motivationally self-relevant agendas (hopes and aspirations, duties and obligations) and concrete control items (e.g., shape of USA). Young adults' activity replicated a double dissociation (M. K. Johnson et al., 2006): An area of medial frontal gyrus/anterior cingulate cortex was most active during hopes and aspirations trials, and an area of medial posterior cortex-primarily posterior cingulate-was most active during duties and obligations trials. Compared with young adults, older adults showed attenuated responses in medial cortex, especially in medial prefrontal cortex, with both less activity during self-relevant trials and less deactivation during control trials. The fMRI data, together with post-scan reports and the behavioral literature on age-group differences in motivational orientation, suggest that the differences in medial cortex seen in this study reflect young and older adults' focus on different information during motivationally self-relevant thought. Differences also may be related to an age-associated deficit in controlled cognitive processes that are engaged by complex self-reflection and mediated by prefrontal cortex. (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

Author information

Author/s: Mitchell, Karen J (KJ); Raye, Carol L (CL); Ebner, Natalie C (NC); Tubridy, Shannon M (SM); Frankel, Hillary (H); Johnson, Marcia K (MK);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8205, USA. karen.mitchell(-atsign-)yale.edu

Grants: AG09253 (Agency:NIA NIH HHS) ; AG15793 (Agency:NIA NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

Journal: Psychology and aging (Psychol Aging), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Jun; vol 24 (issue 2) : pp 438-49

Dates: Created 2009/06/02; Completed 2009/07/16;

PMID: 19485660, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 7/25/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent Adult Aged Aged, 80 and over Aging - physiology Aspirations (Psychology) Attention - physiology Brain Mapping Female Gyrus Cinguli - physiology Humans

Humans Image Processing, Computer-Assisted Magnetic Resonance Imaging Male Middle Aged Motivation Prefrontal Cortex - physiology Psychomotor Performance - physiology Self Concept Thinking - physiology Young Adult

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