[Executive functioning and normal aging: a study of arithmetic word-problem-solving].
Recent studies suggest that executive functions are among the first cognitive functions to decline with normal aging.


METHODS
We studied the effect of age on executive functions using a set of 13 arithmetic word problems including 9 problems of increasing complexity which were solvable in 2, 3, 4 operations, and 4 aberrant problems. Three groups participated in the study: 18 young, 18 adult and 18 elderly participants.


RESULTS
The results showed that elderly participants were more impaired to resolve complex arithmetic word problems, without deficit in their ability to eliminate aberrant problems.


CONCLUSIONS
The current elderly sample has a dissociated pattern of performance similar to that of some patients with frontal lobe lesions. In these patients, relations were found between the inability to generate correct algorithms of resolution for arithmetic word problems of increasing complexity and lesions in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and between the impaired inhibition of unsolvable word problems and lesions in the orbitofrontal regions. We suggest that cognitive aging could be better interpreted in terms of changes in some frontal systems rather than in all-encompassing frontal deterioration.
Allain
Philippe
P
Centre Mémoire de Ressources et de Recherche, CHU d'Angers, France. phallain@chu-angers.fr
Kauffmann
Mélina
M
Dubas
Frédéric
F
Berrut
Gilles
G
Le Gall
Didier
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011340:Problem Solving; D011930:Reaction Time; D014825:Vocabulary