Mechanisms of Executive Decline in Normal Aging

项目摘要/摘要 这个项目的首要目标是确定认知机制和神经结构。 在衰老过程中观察到的执行功能的下降。包括我们在内的几个研究小组已经 有记录的与年龄相关的执行功能下降及其对日常功能的重大影响。 然而，这种下降的根本原因仍然不清楚；更清楚地了解不同的 认知和神经变化相互作用，导致执行力下降是必要的。我们提出了一个最重要的 与年龄相关的额叶萎缩、额叶低灌注和白质完整性丧失相互作用的模型 影响信息处理速度和执行功能。我们建议对150名正常人进行前瞻性研究 老年人在基线和36个月后再次进行结构性神经成像、血流灌注和认知测量。 我们有三个具体的目标：1)测试年龄、额叶结构、额叶血流灌注、 脑白质，和认知；2)确定潜在的健康和生活方式MRI和 认知结果；3)测试MRI中纵向变化与纵向变化之间的关系 在认知方面。该项目利用了最新开发的高场、高分辨率磁共振成像技术。 以及测量加工速度和执行功能的认知心理学方法。我们是 特别关注白质完整性，因为它可能会受到生活方式和健康问题的影响， 可能是可以治疗的。

Project Summary /Abstract The overarching goal of this project is to identify the cognitive mechanisms and neural structures that underlie the decline in executive functioning observed in aging. Several research groups, including ours, have documented age-associated decline in executive functioning and its significant impact on daily functioning. The underlying causes of this decline remain unclear, however; a clearer understanding of how various cognitive and neural changes interact to produce executive decline is needed. We propose an overarching model in which age-associated frontal atrophy, frontal hypoperfusion, and loss of white matter integrity interact to affect information processing speed and executive function. We propose to prospectively study 150 normal elderly with structural neuroimaging, perfusion, and cognitive measures at baseline and again after 36 months. We have three specific aims: 1) test the relationships between age, frontal lobe structure, frontal perfusion, white matter, and cognition cross-sectionally; 2) identify potential health and lifestyle predictors of MRI and cognitive outcomes; and 3) test the relationships between longitudinal change in MRI and longitudinal changes in cognition. This project takes advantage of newly developed techniques of high field, high resolution MRI and cognitive psychology methods of measuring processing speed and executive functioning. We are particularly focusing on white matter integrity because it may be influenced by lifestyle and health issues that are potentially treatable.