title: Longitudinal Changes in Component Processes of Working Memory.
abstract: Working memory (WM) entails maintenance and manipulation of information in the absence of sensory input. This study investigated the trajectories and neural basis of these component processes of WM functions in aging. Longitudinal human functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data are presented from 136 older individuals (55-80 years) who were scanned at baseline and again 4 years later. We obtained evidence that age-related changes in parietal and frontal components of the WM core network are dissociable in terms of their role in maintenance of perceptual representations and further manipulation of this information, respectively. Individual difference analyses in performance subgroups showed that only prefrontal changes in fMRI activation were accompanied by changes in performance, but parietal brain activity was related to study dropout. We discuss the results in terms of possible neurobiological causes underlying separable aging-related declines in inferior parietal cortex and lateral prefrontal cortex that differentially affect WM functions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden; Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden; Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rieckmann
authors.affiliation: Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden; Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9512-3289
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pudas
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden; Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden; Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3367-1746
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nyberg
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010352:Patient Dropouts
keywords: Working memory; aging; fMRI; fronto-parietal; longitudinal