Time-modulated enhancing of the fronto-parietal circuits in the very-old elders.
Several studies have shown that memory circuits can be reorganised as a function of age. Brain magnetic activity evoked by a memory task was recorded in 19 healthy elderly subjects divided into two groups, a young-elder group (mean age of 62) and senior-elder group (mean age of 76). The young-elder group showed greater activity over the left medial temporal lobe in the late latency windows (between 400 and 800 ms) than the senior-elder group. The senior-elder group showed an initial increased activity (between 150 and 400 ms) over the complex of motor areas, followed by an increased activity in the left temporo-parietal cortex at the late latency window. These results revealed a reorganization of brain networks supporting memory in the eldest subjects. Furthermore, these circuits are reorganised in a time-dependent manner, meaning the rehearsal articulatory process active in the early time window followed by a phonological storage and recognition process in the late latency window.
Centro de Magnetoencefaflografía Dr Pérez Modrego, Pabellón no. 8, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Spain.
Fernando
F
Maestú
Pablo
P
Campo
Santiago
S
Fernández
Almudena
A
Capilla
Pedro
P
Gil-Gregorio
Alberto
A
Fernández
Carlos
C
Amo
Tomás
T
Ortiz
D000368:Aged / Q000502:physiology*; D000369:Aged, 80 and over / Q000502:physiology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology*; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D015225:Magnetoencephalography; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology*; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology