title: Alpha phase dynamics predict age-related visual working memory decline.
abstract: Alpha oscillations (7-14Hz) are modulated in response to visual temporal and spatial cues. However, the neural response to alerting cues is less explored, as is how this response is affected by healthy aging. Using scalp EEG, we examined how visual cortical alpha activity relates to working memory performance. Younger (20-30 years) and older (60-70 years) participants were presented with a visual alerting cue uninformative of the position or size of a lateralized working memory array. Older adults showed longer response times overall and reduced accuracy when memory load was high. Older adults had less consistent cue-evoked alpha phase resetting than younger adults, which predicted worse performance. Alpha phase prior to memory array presentation predicted response time, but the relationship between phase and response time was weaker in older adults. These results suggest that changes in alpha phase dynamics, especially prior to presentation of task-relevant stimuli, potentially contribute to age-related cognitive decline.
authors: Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States. Electronic address: ttt075@ucsd.edu.
authors: Tam T
authors: TT
authors: Tran
authors: Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States.
authors: Nicole C
authors: NC
authors: Hoffner
authors: Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, 175 Li Ka Shing Center, MC#3370, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States.
authors: Sara C
authors: SC
authors: LaHue
authors: Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, 175 Li Ka Shing Center, MC#3370, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States.
authors: Lisa
authors: L
authors: Tseng
authors: Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States; Institute for Neural Computation, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States; Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States.
authors: Bradley
authors: B
authors: Voytek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000513:Alpha Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Aging; Alerting cue; Alpha; Attention; Oscillations; Working memory