The mellow years?: neural basis of improving emotional stability over age.
Contrary to the pervasive negative stereotypes of human aging, emotional functions may improve with advancing age. However, the brain mechanisms underlying changes in emotional function over age remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that emotional stability improves linearly over seven decades (12-79 years) of the human lifespan. We used both functional magnetic resonance imaging and event-related potential recording to examine the neural basis of this improvement. With these multimodal techniques, we show that better stability is predicted by a shift toward greater medial prefrontal control over negative emotional input associated with increased activity later in the processing sequence (beyond 200 ms after stimulus) and less control over positive input, related to a decrease in early activity (within 150 ms). This shift was independent from gray matter loss, indexed by structural magnetic resonance data. We propose an integrative model in which accumulated life experience and the motivation for meaning over acquisition in older age contribute to plasticity of medial prefrontal systems, achieving a greater selective control over emotional functions.
Williams
Leanne M
LM
Brain Dynamics Centre, Westmead Millenium Institute and Western Clinical School, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, Sydney, New South Wales, 2145, Australia. lea@psych.usyd.edu.au
Brown
Kerri J
KJ
Palmer
Donna
D
Liddell
Belinda J
BJ
Kemp
Andrew H
AH
Olivieri
Gloria
G
Peduto
Anthony
A
Gordon
Evian
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002648:Child; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D019260:Expressed Emotion / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012649:Self Concept
D010100:Oxygen