Neural Mechanisms of Learning to Resolve Interference in Younger and Older Adults

描述（由申请人提供）：在各种活动中高水平表现的一个主要障碍是外部因素的干扰，形式是分心和多任务处理。外部干扰对表现的负面影响已被证明随着年龄的增长而恶化，并且是认知老化的一个突出因素。值得注意的是，研究表明，所有年龄段的成年人都能学会用练习来解决外部干扰，在很大程度上消除了表现成本。拟议研究项目的基本科学目标是探索外部干扰的神经基础，我们如何学会解决与实践的干扰，以及这些机制如何随年龄变化。从翻译的角度来看，平行的目标是评估学习的转移，以使其他认知能力和学习技能的可持续性随着时间的推移而受益。为了实现这些目标，年轻人和老年人将参与认知训练方案，这些方案是专门为训练分心和多任务处理能力而开发的。神经 干扰效应和学习的机制将在训练之前和之后使用同步脑电图（EEG）和功能性MRI（fMRI）记录进行评估，同时参与者参与训练任务的实验版本。将评估皮质功能的时间和空间测量，重点是网络连接。年龄组之间的直接比较将为理解正常衰老过程中这些机制的变化提供基础。在训练前和训练后，还将进行一系列广泛的认知任务和实际活动测量，以评估学习解决干扰是否会提高其他能力。参与者将在接受实验任务培训六个月后重新接受测试，以评估学习的可持续性。除了推进这一重要领域的有限工作外，我们预计该项目独特的方法和实验设计将对该领域产生重大影响。这些知识将用于指导针对广泛的认知能力和易受干扰负面影响的临床人群的康复计划的有针对性的发展。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A major obstacle to high-level performance on a wide variety of activities is interference by external factors, in the form of distraction and multitaskng. The negative impact of external interference on performance has been shown to worsen with age, and is a prominent factor in cognitive aging. Remarkably, it has been shown that adults of all ages can learn to resolve external interference with practice, largely eliminating performance costs. The basic science goals of the proposed research project are to explore the neural basis of external interference, how we learn to resolve interference with practice and how these mechanisms change with age. From a translational perspective, parallel goals are to assess the transfer of learning to benefit other cognitive abilities and the sustainability of learned skills ver time. To accomplish these goals, younger and older adults will engage in cognitive training regimens, which were specifically developed to train distraction and multitasking abilities. Neural mechanisms of interference effects and learning will be assessed before and after training using simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) and functional MRI (fMRI) recordings while participants engage in an experimental version of the training tasks. Temporal and spatial measures of cortical function, with an emphasis on network connectivity, will be evaluated. Direct comparisons between age groups will offer a basis to understand alterations in these mechanisms that occur with normal aging. An extensive battery of cognitive tasks and real-life activity measures will also be administered pre- and post-training to evaluate if learning to resolve interference improves other abilities. Participants will be re-tested six months after training on the experimental tasks to assess sustainability of learning. In addition to advancing the limited work in this important area, we anticipate that the unique methodological approach and experimental design of this project will have a major impact on the field. This knowledge will be used to guide the targeted development of rehabilitation programs directed at the broad range of cognitive abilities and clinical populations that are susceptible to negative effects of interference.