Theories of cognitive aging: a look at potential benefits of music training on the aging brain

2020 ◽  
pp. 195-220
Author(s):  
T.M. Vanessa Chan ◽  
Claude Alain
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Aging Brain ◽  
Music Training ◽  
Potential Benefits

Imaging and Cognitive Genetics: The Norwegian Cognitive NeuroGenetics Sample

2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 442-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Espeseth ◽  
Andrea Christoforou ◽  
Astri J. Lundervold ◽  
Vidar M. Steen ◽  
Stephanie Le Hellard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sample Size ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Adult Life ◽  
Aging Brain ◽  
Adult Life Span ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
A Genome ◽  
Effects Of Aging

Data collection for the Norwegian Cognitive NeuroGenetics sample (NCNG) was initiated in 2003 with a research grant (to Ivar Reinvang) to study cognitive aging, brain function, and genetic risk factors. The original focus was on the effects of aging (from middle age and up) and candidate genes (e.g., APOE, CHRNA4) in cross-sectional and longitudinal designs, with the cognitive and MRI-based data primarily being used for this purpose. However, as the main topic of the project broadened from cognitive aging to imaging and cognitive genetics more generally, the sample size, age range of the participants, and scope of available phenotypes and genotypes, have developed beyond the initial project. In 2009, a genome-wide association (GWA) study was undertaken, and the NCNG proper was established to study the genetics of cognitive and brain function more comprehensively. The NCNG is now controlled by the NCNG Study Group, which consists of the present authors. Prominent features of the NCNG are the adult life-span coverage of healthy participants with high-dimensional imaging, and cognitive data from a genetically homogenous sample. Another unique property is the large-scale (sample size 300–700) use of experimental cognitive tasks focusing on attention and working memory. The NCNG data is now used in numerous ongoing GWA-based studies and has contributed to several international consortia on imaging and cognitive genetics. The objective of the following presentation is to give other researchers the information necessary to evaluate possible contributions from the NCNG to various multi-sample data analyses.

Structural MRI in Alzheimer’s Disease

2020 ◽  
pp. 208-240
Author(s):  
Briana S. Last ◽  
Batool Rizvi ◽  
Adam M. Brickman
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cerebrovascular Disease ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Structural Mri ◽  
The Other ◽  
Aging Brain ◽  
Medial Temporal Lobes ◽  
Temporal Lobes ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Mri

Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful tool to visualize and quantitate morphological and pathological features of the aging brain. Most work that has used structural MRI to study Alzheimer’s disease (AD) focused on the spatial distribution of atrophic changes associated with disease. These studies consistently show focal atrophy beginning in medial temporal lobes in early and presymptomatic stages of AD before spreading globally throughout the cortical mantle. Normal cognitive aging—aging in the absence of major neurodegenerative disease—on the other hand follows and anterior-to-posterior gradient of atrophic change. In addition to atrophic changes, conventional structural MRI can be used to appreciate markers of small and large vessel cerebrovascular disease, including white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), cerebral microbleeds, and infarction. Studies that have examined cerebrovascular changes associated with AD also show a consistent relationship with risk and severity of clinical AD, particularly with regard to lobar microbleeds and posterior WMH. It is unclear whether cerebrovascular changes play an independent role in the clinical expression of AD or whether it is more mechanistically related, reflecting a core feature of the disease. This chapter reviews recent work on regional atrophy in AD and normal aging, as well as work on small and large cerebrovascular disease in AD.

scholarly journals Swimming as a Positive Moderator of Cognitive Aging: A Cross-Sectional Study with a Multitask Approach

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amira Abou-Dest ◽  
Cédric T. Albinet ◽  
Geoffroy Boucard ◽  
Michel Audiffren
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Information Processing ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Information Processing Speed ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Potential Benefits

This study examined whether regular swimming in older adults was related to better cognitive functioning and whether there were any global or selective positive effects of this physical activity (PA) on cognition. The cognitive performances of three groups of sixteen volunteer participants (young adults, sedentary older adults, and older adults who regularly practice swimming) were evaluated using a multitask approach. All participants performed a battery of ten tasks: two reaction time tasks assessing information processing speed and eight experimental tasks assessing three executive functions (EFs), (behavioral inhibition, working memory updating, and cognitive flexibility). The results showed that young adults performed significantly better than older adults on all examined cognitive functions. However, in older adults, regular swimming was related to better performance on the three EFs, but not on information processing speed. More precisely, five experimental tasks out of the eight tapping EFs were shown to be sensitive to positive effects from swimming practice. Finally, the demonstrated benefits of swimming on EFs were not necessarily linked to better cardiorespiratory fitness. The present findings illustrate the validity of using a multitask approach in examining the potential benefits of regular PA on cognitive aging.

From Neuroplasticity to Scaffolding

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 24-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gillian Ewing
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Aging Brain ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Aging Research ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
The Past ◽  
Theory Of Aging ◽  
Giant Step ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Neuroimaging Techniques

This paper is a review of cognitive aging research centred on the Scaffolding Theory of Aging and Cognition (STAC), a theory which brings together much of the previous research into cognitive aging over the past century and suggests directions for future work. From Santiago Ramon y Cajal, with his microscope and talented drawings, to today’s researchers with psychological and neurobiological methods and technology, particularly neuroimaging techniques, such as fMRI, sMRI, PET, etc., enormous progress has been made, through cognitive reserve, dedifferentiation, compensation, hemispherical asymmetry, inhibition and neurotransmission, to the Scaffolding theory of aging and cognition and beyond. Prior to 1990, research was almost entirely behavioural, but the advent of neuroimaging has boosted research and given rise to a new domain known as cognitive neuroscience, combining behavioural and neurobiological approaches to investigate structural and functional changes in the aging brain. Having reviewed the existing literature on cognitive aging research, the author concludes that although the scaffolding theory brings together a significant body of work and ideas, it is not yet the single, unifying theory for researchers. However, it does represent a giant step toward that theory.

scholarly journals PHYSICAL VERSUS COGNITIVE ACTIVITY FOR SUCCESSFUL AGING: BRAIN MAINTENANCE OR COGNITIVE RESERVE?

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S619-S619
Author(s):  
Kaitlin Casaletto ◽  
Kaitlin B Casaletto ◽  
Judy Pa ◽  
Sarah Tom ◽  
Miguel Arce-Renteria ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Cognitive Reserve ◽  
Gray Matter Volume ◽  
Cognitive Activity ◽  
Aging Brain ◽  
Matter Volume ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Brain Maintenance ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Mechanisms by which physical (PA) and cognitive (CA) activities promote healthy cognitive aging are unknown. We examined independent contributions of PA and CA to “brain maintenance” (MRI markers of brain integrity) versus “cognitive reserve” (better cognition than predicted by brain integrity) in two independent samples of non-demented older adults (UCSF n=344; UCD n=482). In UCSF, only PA was positively associated with white matter (WM) integrity, while CA attenuated the relationship between WM and cognition. This pattern suggests PA supports brain maintenance, while CA contributes to cognitive reserve. In UCD, CA was positively associated with total gray matter volume; PA was positively associated with age-related WM integrity, and attenuated the association between WM and cognition. This indicates that both PA and CA support brain maintenance, with PA more strongly related to cognitive reserve. There may be preferential, but overlapping pathways by which PA and CA maintain age-related brain and cognitive health.

scholarly journals Promoting Healthy Cognitive Aging: A Systematic Review and Analysis

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 431
Author(s):  
Suk-hee Kim
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Home Visiting ◽  
Aging Brain ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Positive Effects

<div><p><em>Promoting healthy cognitive aging within social work has been raised over the years, but the effectiveness of many preventions and interventions in healthy aging brain has been questioned because of the lack of the evidence. </em><em>The purpose of the study is to carry out a scientific research review and analysis related to healthy cognitive aging brain and professional social work. This study reviewed major trends in the health care in cognitive aging environment which impacts on social work education, practice, and research including a shift from in-patient to community care setting and increasing diversity of the older adult population. </em><em>A systematic review was conducted to determine the effectiveness of promoting healthy cognitive aging that target mild-cognitive impairment and screening among older-adults. In this scientific literature review, quantitative and qualitative outcome studies between 1989 and 2016 were reviewed. The researcher found that educational and social activity group interventions that can ease social isolation and loneliness among older adults. However, the effectiveness of home visiting remains unclear. The study also was completed to address a growing area of cognitive aging brain concern and implication for health care providers and professionals. Overall research findings support positive effects of social and family support, early mild-cognitive screening, quality of social network, healthy choice eating, and physical and mental activity in improving healthy mild-cognitive aging. </em></p></div>

scholarly journals Regional Brain Volume, Brain Reserve and MMSE Performance in Healthy Aging From the NEUROAGE Cohort: Contributions of Sex, Education, and Depression Symptoms

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Pettemeridou ◽  
Eleni Kallousia ◽  
Fofi Constantinidou
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Brain Volume ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Images ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Aging Brain ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Brain Reserve

Objective: The aim of this study was twofold. First, to investigate the relationship between age, gray matter (GM), white matter (WM), and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volumes, brain reserve (BR), and specific regions of interest (ROIs) with global cognitive function in healthy older adults participating in a longitudinal study on aging in the island country of Cyprus. Second, to assess the contribution of important demographic and psychosocial factors on brain volume. Specifically, the effects of sex and years of education and the association between depression symptoms on brain volume were also explored in this Mediterranean cohort.Methods: Eighty-seven healthy older adults (males = 37, females = 50) scoring ≥24 on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were included, with a mean age of 72.75 years and a mean educational level of 10.48 years. The Geriatric Depression Scale was used to assess depression. T1-weighted magnetic resonance images were used to calculate global and regional volumes.Results: Age was negatively correlated with GM, WM, BR, MMSE scores, and ROIs, including the hippocampus, amygdala, entorhinal cortex, prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate gyrus, and positively with CSF. Higher MMSE scores positively correlated with GM volume. Women exhibited greater levels of depression than men. Depression was also negatively correlated with GM volume and MMSE scores. Men had greater ventricular size than women and participants with higher education had greater ventricular expansion than those with fewer years in education.Conclusions: The reported structural changes provide evidence on the overlap between age-related brain changes and healthy cognitive aging and suggest that these age changes affect certain regions. Furthermore, sex, depressive symptomatology, and education are significant predictors of the aging brain. Brain reserve and higher education accommodate these changes and works against the development of clinical symptoms.

Music Making and the Aging Brain

2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lutz Jäncke
Keyword(s):  
Executive Functions ◽  
Frontal Cortex ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Brain Area ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Aging Brain ◽  
Music Listening ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Music Making ◽  
Current Experimental Data

The chapter reviews the evidence in support of the idea that cognitive functions can benefit from listening to music or making music and how this evidence might be used to stabilize cognitive aging and prevent or diminish cognitive decline. The beneficial effects are more or less direct (e. g., for auditory perception) or indirect (e. g., for arousal and motivation). The core functions engaged during music listening or music making are executive functions that include attention, working memory, planning, and motor control. These functions are mainly controlled by neural networks located in the frontal cortex, the brain area that undergoes strongest decline in volume with increasing age. In this paper it is argued that this shrinkage of the frontal cortex or the natural course of the decline in frontal brain volume can be counteracted by engaging frontal executive functions through music listening and making. However, current experimental data supporting beneficial effects of music listening and music making is scarce. Therefore, well controlled randomized control group experiments are urgently needed.

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