Age-related differences in response regulation as revealed by functional MRI.
This fMRI study studied age-related differences in neural activities during response regulation. Twenty-one male participants from two age groups, a younger group and an older group (mean ages: 29.9 and 65.2 years, respectively), were scanned while performing a task with response compatibility manipulation. They were presented with a sequence of arrowheads that pointed either upward or downward. In the "Response Compatible" condition, they were required to press an up or a down button consistent with the direction of the arrowhead. In the "Response Incompatible" condition, they were required to press the button opposite to the arrowhead direction so that an upward arrow should elicit a down response, and vice versa. Findings showed age-related differences in response regulation in several brain regions, including the right frontal, the right cingulate, and the left inferior parietal cortexes. The findings suggested a higher level of neural activity in the right prefrontal and left inferior parietal regions during response regulation for the older adults than for the younger adults.
Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. tmclee@hkusua.hku.hk
Tatia M C
TM
Lee
John X
JX
Zhang
Chetwyn C H
CC
Chan
Kenneth S L
KS
Yuen
L W
LW
Chu
Raymond T F
RT
Cheung
Y S
YS
Chan
Peter T
PT
Fox
Jia-Hong
JH
Gao
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*
D010100:Oxygen