Age-related impairments in the flexible allocation of control during learning and decision-making

人类衰老与在不断变化的环境中灵活调整行为的问题有关（例如在新城市导航或必须使用新技术时）。年轻人的研究结果表明，这些障碍可能是由于学习策略的适应性控制缺陷造成的（Lee et al., 2014）。然而，学习过程的灵活控制背后的计算和神经生物学机制，以及它们如何随着年龄的变化而变化，尚不清楚。此外，目前尚不清楚学习策略灵活调节的年龄差异与老年认知控制能力的既定下降之间的关系，以及这两种损伤是否源于共同的潜在缺陷。***我的研究有两个长期目标：1)我想揭示不同认知领域的适应性行为控制中与年龄相关的缺陷的计算和神经生物学机制。2)我想验证一个假设，即跨领域灵活行为控制的年龄相关损伤是由前额皮质任务结构表征的学习和更新的潜在缺陷引起的。***目前的研究计划包括三个工作包：第一个工作包（WP1）的目的是使用行为评估和计算模型来建立学习策略灵活控制的年龄相关变化以及它们如何与认知控制的年龄差异相关。此外，在本工作包中，我将操纵表征需求和任务结构的更新，以探讨表征需求如何影响灵活行为控制中的年龄相关障碍。在第二个工作包（WP2）中，我将使用脑电图（EEG）研究学习过程中与年龄相关的控制分配缺陷的神经动力学。具体来说，我将使用基于模型的脑电图分析来研究学习过程中控制需求的年龄差异如何反映在事件相关电位（ERP）中，以及它们如何与主动和反应性认知控制能力的年龄相关变化相关。第二个工作包的目的是调查跨认知领域的灵活行为控制的年龄差异是否具有潜在的计算和神经生理机制。在最后的工作包（WP3）中，我将使用功能磁共振成像来研究在学习过程中参与灵活参与控制的神经系统，以及这些系统的招募如何随着年龄和表征需求的变化而变化。第三个工作包将侧重于涉及学习策略灵活控制的前额叶活动的年龄差异，这将使我能够确定不同领域的控制策略是否依赖于共享的底层神经系统。

Human ageing is associated with problems in the flexible adjustment of behaviour in changing environments (such as when navigating in a new city or when having to use new technology). Findings in younger adults indicate that these impairments may be due to deficits in the adaptive control of learning strategies (Lee et al., 2014). However, the computational and neurobiological mechanisms underlying the flexible control of learning processes and how they change with age are not (yet) understood. Moreover, it is unclear how age differences in flexible regulation of learning strategies relate to the well-established decline in cognitive control abilities in older age and whether both impairments result from a shared underlying deficit. ***My research has two long-term goals: 1) I would like to uncover the computational and neurobiological mechanisms underlying age-related deficits in adaptive behavioural control across different cognitive domains. 2) I would like to test the hypothesis that age-related impairments in flexible behavioural control across domains result from underlying deficits in the learning and updating of representations of task structures in the prefrontal cortex. ***The current research proposal involves three work packages: The aim of the first work package (WP1) is to use behavioural assessments and computational modelling to establish age-related changes in the flexible control of learning strategies and how they relate to age differences in cognitive control. Furthermore, in this work package, I will manipulate the demands on the representation and updating of task structures to probe how representational demands affect age-related impairments in flexible behavioural control. In the second work package (WP2), I will study the neural dynamics underlying age-related deficits in control allocation during learning using electroencephalography (EEG). Specifically, I will use model-based EEG analyses to investigate how age differences in control demands during learning are reflected in event-related potentials (ERP's) and how they relate to age-related changes in pro-active and reactive cognitive control abilities. The objective of the second work package is to investigate whether age differences the flexible behavioural control across cognitive domains share underlying computational and neurophysiological mechanisms. In the final work package (WP3), I will use fMRI to investigate the neural systems involved in the flexible engagement of control during learning and how the recruitment of these systems changes as a function of age and representational demands. The third work package will focus on age differences in prefrontal activity involved in the flexible control of learning strategies and it will allow me establish whether control strategies in different domains rely on shared underlying neural systems.