title: Neural specificity predicts fluid processing ability in older adults.
abstract: We investigated whether individual differences in neural specificity-the distinctiveness of different neural representations-could explain individual differences in cognitive performance in older adults. Neural specificity was estimated based on how accurately multivariate pattern analysis identified neural activation patterns associated with specific experimental conditions. Neural specificity calculated from a same/different task on two categories of visual stimuli (faces and houses) significantly predicted performance on a range of fluid processing behavioral tasks (dot-comparison, digit-symbol, Trails-A, Trails-B, verbal-fluency) in older adults, whereas it did not correlate with a measure of crystallized knowledge (Shipley-vocabulary). In addition, the neural specificity measure accounted for 30% of the variance in a composite measure of fluid processing ability. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that loss of neural specificity, or dedifferentiation, contributes to reduced fluid processing ability in old age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA. joonkoo@umich.edu
authors.forename: Joonkoo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carp
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hebrank
authors.forename: Denise C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Thad A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Polk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007600:Judgment / Q000502:physiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010100:Oxygen; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen