title: Decreased theta power at encoding and cognitive mapping deficits in elderly individuals during a spatial memory task.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of theta activity in cognitive mapping, and to determine whether age-associated decreased theta power may account for navigational difficulties in elderly individuals. Cerebral activity was recorded using electroencephalograph in young and older individuals performing a spatial memory task that required the creation of cognitive maps. Power spectra were computed in the frontal and parietal regions and correlated with recognition performance. We found that accuracy of cognitive mapping was positively correlated with left frontal theta activity during encoding in young adults but not in older individuals. Compared with young adults, older participants were impaired in the creation of cognitive maps and showed reduced theta and alpha activity at encoding. These results suggest that encoding processes are impaired in older individual, which may explain age-related cognitive mapping deficits.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364-UNISTRA/CNRS, Strasbourg, France. Electronic address: lithfous@unistra.fr.
authors.forename: Ségolène
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lithfous
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364-UNISTRA/CNRS, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: Delphine
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tromp
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364-UNISTRA/CNRS, Strasbourg, France; Centre d'Investigations Neurocognitives et Neurophysiologiques (CI2N), UMS 3489-UNISTRA/CNRS, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dufour
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Investigations Neurocognitives et Neurophysiologiques (CI2N), UMS 3489-UNISTRA/CNRS, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pebayle
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364-UNISTRA/CNRS, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: Romain
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Goutagny
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364-UNISTRA/CNRS, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Després
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D000513:Alpha Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D065854:Spatial Navigation / Q000502:physiology*; D013826:Theta Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Aging; Alpha; EEG; Spatial memory; Theta