title: Brain regions supporting verbal memory improvement in healthy older subjects.
abstract: Despite growing interest in developing cognitive training interventions to minimize the aging cognitive decline process, no studies have attempted to explore which brain regions support the application of semantic strategies during verbal memory encoding. Our aim was to investigate the behavioral performance and brain correlates of these strategies in elderly individuals using fMRI in healthy older subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were scanned twice on the same day, before and after, directed instructions to apply semantic strategies during the encoding of word lists.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Improved memory performance associated to increased semantic strategy application and brain activity in the left inferior and middle and right medial superior prefrontal cortex were found after the directed instructions. There was also reduced activation in areas related to strategy mobilization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Improved memory performance in older subjects after the application of semantic strategies was associated with functional brain reorganization involving regions inside and outside the typical memory network.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eliane C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Miotto
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Joana B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Balardin
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Behavior Neuroscience, Kansas University, Kansas, EUA.
authors.forename: Cary R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Savage
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Radiologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria da Graça M
authors.initials: Mda G
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcelo C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Batistuzzo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Radiologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Edson
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Amaro Junior
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nitrini
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012016:Reference Values; D012660:Semantics; D013997:Time Factors; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology