On age differences in prefrontal function: The importance of emotional/cognitive integration
On age differences in prefrontal function: The importance of emotional/cognitive integration
复制标题
DOI：
10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2009.09.021
复制
发表时间：
2010-01-01
期刊：
影响因子：
2.6
通讯作者：
Hall, Rosalie J.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Baena, Elsa;Allen, Philip A.;Hall, Rosalie J.
健康老年人前额叶皮层衰退的证据已被广泛报道，尽管关于前额叶功能的异质性以及离散区域随年龄衰退的一致性（或缺乏一致性）仍存在许多问题。MacPherson， Phillips和Della Sala（2002）先前报道了与背外侧前额叶皮质（DLPFC）功能（执行控制）相关的任务的年龄差异，但与腹内侧前额叶皮质（VMPFC）功能（情绪/认知整合）相关的任务没有年龄差异。本研究对39名年轻人和39名老年人进行了研究，重复了MacPherson等人关于DLPFC功能的研究结果。然而，也许是由于使用了更敏感的任务，我们也发现了与VMPFC功能相关的任务的年龄差异。具体来说，单变量和多变量分析都表明，老年人在DLPFC和VMPFC任务中表现出缺陷。任务表现得分的探索性因素分析显示了四个潜在维度，两个与DLPFC功能有关，两个与VMPFC功能有关。为了比较过程特异性和普通年龄效应模型，我们测试了一组结构方程模型来说明年龄对四个任务绩效因素的影响。我们的研究结果表明，老年人表现出情感/认知整合和执行功能的缺陷，这些影响确实包括特定过程的年龄缺陷。2009爱思唯尔有限公司版权所有。
Evidence of prefrontal cortex decline among healthy older adults has been widely reported, although many questions remain regarding the functional heterogeneity of the prefrontal lobes and the uniformity (or lack thereof) with which discrete regions decline with age. MacPherson, Phillips, and Della Sala (2002) previously reported age differences in tasks associated with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) function (executive control), but not for tasks associated with ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) function (emotional/cognitive integration). The present study, conducted using 39 younger adults and 39 older adults, replicates the MacPherson et al. findings regarding DLPFC functioning. However, and perhaps due to the use of more sensitive tasks, we also find age differences in tasks associated with VMPFC function. Specifically, both univariate and multivariate analyses indicated older adults showed deficits across the DLPFC and VMPFC tasks. Exploratory factor analysis of the task performance scores indicated four underlying dimensions, two related to DLPFC functioning and two related to VMPFC functioning. A set of structural equation models specifying age effects on the four task performance factors was tested, in order to contrast models of process-specific vs. common age effects. Our results suggest that older adults show deficits in emotional/cognitive integration as well as in executive function, and that those effects do include process-specific age deficits. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.