title: Age-related decline in cognitive control: the role of fluid intelligence and processing speed.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Research on cognitive control suggests an age-related decline in proactive control abilities whereas reactive control seems to remain intact. However, the reason of the differential age effect on cognitive control efficiency is still unclear. This study investigated the potential influence of fluid intelligence and processing speed on the selective age-related decline in proactive control. Eighty young and 80 healthy older adults were included in this study. The participants were submitted to a working memory recognition paradigm, assessing proactive and reactive cognitive control by manipulating the interference level across items.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Repeated measures ANOVAs and hierarchical linear regressions indicated that the ability to appropriately use cognitive control processes during aging seems to be at least partially affected by the amount of available cognitive resources (assessed by fluid intelligence and processing speed abilities).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study highlights the potential role of cognitive resources on the selective age-related decline in proactive control, suggesting the importance of a more exhaustive approach considering the confounding variables during cognitive control assessment.
authors.forename: Marine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manard
authors.forename: Delphine
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carabin
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jaspar
authors.affiliation: Cyclotron Research Centre, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium. f.collette@ulg.ac.be.
authors.forename: Fabienne
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Collette
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult