title: [Normal aging of frontal lobe functions].
abstract: Normal aging in individuals is often associated with morphological, metabolic and cognitive changes, which particularly concern the cerebral frontal regions. Starting from the "frontal lobe hypothesis of cognitive aging" (West, 1996), the present review is based on the neuroanatomical model developed by Stuss (2008), introducing four categories of frontal lobe functions: executive control, behavioural and emotional self-regulation and decision-making, energization and meta-cognitive functions. The selected studies only address the changes of one at least of these functions. The results suggest a deterioration of several cognitive frontal abilities in normal aging: flexibility, inhibition, planning, verbal fluency, implicit decision-making, second-order and affective theory of mind. Normal aging seems also to be characterised by a general reduction in processing speed observed during neuropsychological assessment (Salthouse, 1996). Nevertheless many cognitive functions remain preserved such as automatic or non-conscious inhibition, specific capacities of flexibility and first-order theory of mind. Therefore normal aging doesn't seem to be associated with a global cognitive decline but rather with a selective change in some frontal systems, conclusion which should be taken into account for designing caring programs in normal aging.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de psychologie des Pays-de-Loire (EA 4638), Université d'Angers, Maison des sciences humaines, Angers, France.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Calso
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de psychologie des Pays-de-Loire (EA 4638), Université d'Angers, Maison des sciences humaines, Angers, France.
authors.forename: Jérémy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Besnard
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de psychologie des Pays-de-Loire (EA 4638), Université d'Angers, Maison des sciences humaines, Angers, France, Unité de neuropsychologie, Département de neurologie, CHU d'Angers, France.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Allain
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003657:Decision Making; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
keywords: decision-making; energization; executive functions; metacognition; normal aging