scholarly journals Patterns of Prefrontal Activation and Performance During Walking Tasks Among Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 792-792
Author(s):  
Nemin Chen ◽  
Theodore Huppert ◽  
Robert Krafty ◽  
Andrea Rosso
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
High Activation ◽  
Compensatory Mechanisms ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Primary Network ◽  
Performance Patterns ◽  
Cognitive Challenge ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Intermediate Performance

Abstract Differences in prefrontal cortex (PFC) control of walking in older age likely arise from changes in neural capacity and compensation. PFC activation by changes in oxygenated hemoglobin from functional near infra-red spectroscopy was examined in 29 older adults (mean age=76). Tasks included standing with cognitive challenge and walking with and without cognitive challenge on even and uneven surfaces. Three PFC activation-performance patterns were identified using K-means clustering: 1) low activation during walking tasks and high activation during standing cognitive task, with the best performance in terms of walking speed and cognitive performance (n=10); 2) low activation on all tasks, with the lowest performance (n=15); 3) high activation during walking and low activation during cognitive, with intermediate performance (n=5). Associations of patterns with cognitive function and structural neuroimaging were explored, with results informing interpretation of functional changes of PFC during aging process, including compensatory mechanisms for primary network impairment.

Impact of age and cyclooxygenase inhibition on the hemodynamic response to acute cognitive challenges

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew G. Pearson ◽  
Kathleen B. Miller ◽  
Adam T. Corkery ◽  
Nicole A. Eisenmann ◽  
Anna J. Howery ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Transcranial Doppler Ultrasound ◽  
Cerebrovascular Reactivity ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Arterial Blood ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Cognitive Challenges

Structural and functional changes in the cerebral vasculature occur with advancing age, which may lead to impaired neurovascular coupling (NVC) and cognitive decline. Cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibition abolishes age-related differences in cerebrovascular reactivity, but it is unclear if COX inhibition impacts NVC. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of aging on NVC before and after COX inhibition. Twenty-three young (age=25±4 y) and 21 older (age=64±5 y) adults completed two levels of difficulty of the Stroop and n-back tests before and after COX inhibition. Middle cerebral artery blood velocity (MCAv) was measured using transcranial Doppler ultrasound and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) was measured using a finger cuff. Hemodynamic variables were measured at rest and in response to cognitive challenges. During the Stroop test, older adults demonstrated a greater increase in MCAv (Young: 2.2±6.8% vs. Older: 5.9±5.8%; P=0.030) and MAP (Young: 2.0±4.9% vs. Older: 4.8±4.9%; P=0.036) compared with young adults. There were no age-related differences during the n-back test. COX inhibition reduced MCAv by 30% in young and 26% in older adults (P<0.001 for both). During COX inhibition, there were no age-related differences in the percent change in MCAv or MAP in response to the cognitive tests. Our results show that older adults require greater increases in MCAv and MAP during a test of executive function compared with young adults and that any age-related differences in NVC were abolished during COX inhibition. Collectively, this suggests that aging is associated with greater NVC necessary to accomplish a cognitive task.

Age-Related Differences in Motivational Integration and Cognitive Control

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debbie Marianne Yee ◽  
Sarah L Adams ◽  
Asad Beck ◽  
Todd Samuel Braver
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Task Performance ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Monetary Reward ◽  
Potential Candidate ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Cognitive Task Performance

Motivational incentives play an influential role in value-based decision-making and cognitive control. A compelling hypothesis in the literature suggests that the brain integrates the motivational value of diverse incentives (e.g., motivational integration) into a common currency value signal that influences decision-making and behavior. To investigate whether motivational integration processes change during healthy aging, we tested older (N=44) and younger (N=54) adults in an innovative incentive integration task paradigm that establishes dissociable and additive effects of liquid (e.g., juice, neutral, saltwater) and monetary incentives on cognitive task performance. The results reveal that motivational incentives improve cognitive task performance in both older and younger adults, providing novel evidence demonstrating that age-related cognitive control deficits can be ameliorated with sufficient incentive motivation. Additional analyses revealed clear age-related differences in motivational integration. Younger adult task performance was modulated by both monetary and liquid incentives, whereas monetary reward effects were more gradual in older adults and more strongly impacted by trial-by-trial performance feedback. A surprising discovery was that older adults shifted attention from liquid valence toward monetary reward throughout task performance, but younger adults shifted attention from monetary reward toward integrating both monetary reward and liquid valence by the end of the task, suggesting differential strategic utilization of incentives. Together these data suggest that older adults may have impairments in incentive integration, and employ different motivational strategies to improve cognitive task performance. The findings suggest potential candidate neural mechanisms that may serve as the locus of age-related change, providing targets for future cognitive neuroscience investigations.

scholarly journals Motor Adaptation to Cognitive Challenges and Destabilizing Treadmill Walking in Healthy Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 523-523
Author(s):  
Pei-Chun Kao ◽  
Michaela Pierro
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Trunk Motion ◽  
Visual Color ◽  
Stability Data ◽  
Serial Addition ◽  
Task Conditions ◽  
Perturbed Walking

Abstract To develop effective fall prevention intervention, it is necessary to understand how older adults respond to challenges that demand cognitive-motor dual-tasking capability, an important capability in the daily lives. The purpose of this study is to investigate how older adults adjust their motor responses when encountering cognitive and walking perturbations simultaneously. We recorded kinematic data as subjects walked on a treadmill with or without 1) continuous random-amplitude treadmill platform sways (Perturbed vs. No-perturbed walking); and 2) each of the four cognitive tasks: Paced Auditory Serial Addition test (PASAT), clock test, visual color-word incongruent test (V-stroop), and auditory pitch-word incongruent test (A-stroop). We computed dynamic margins of stability (MOS), gait variability, and short-term local divergence exponent (LDE) of the trunk motion (local stability). Data of ten older subjects (age: 72.2±4.9) show that cognitive performance did not differ between standing, Perturbed or No-perturbed walking. Subjects demonstrated significantly greater local instability and variability in step measures, joint angle and MOS during Perturbed than No-perturbed walking (p&lt;0.001). During dual-task conditions, subjects walked with significantly larger medio-lateral MOS (MOSML) compared to walking only, especially during early phase of the trial. During Perturbed walking, subjects had significantly larger MOSML during PASAT and Vstroop than walking only. Our data showed that subjects tried to increase their dynamic MOS during Perturbed walking or a cognitive task more difficult or taxing visual attention. However, the adjustments do not sustain throughout the trial. These findings suggest older adults tend to prioritize cognitive over walking tasks even when encountering walking perturbations.

scholarly journals Aging and Financial Capacity: Cognitive Correlates of an Early Indicator of Functional Decline

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 467-468
Author(s):  
Katherine Wild ◽  
Jennifer Marcoe ◽  
Nicole Sharma ◽  
Mary Siqueland ◽  
Nora Mattek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Visual Memory ◽  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Monitoring Data ◽  
Financial Capacity ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Online Transactions ◽  
Financial Activity ◽  
Financial Monitoring

Abstract Financial capacity describes the ability to make and carry out sound financial decisions sufficient to meet an individual’s needs for health and well-being. Impairments in financial capacity have been shown to be one of the earliest functional changes in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), the precursor to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Recent developments using online automated monitoring of financial transactions promise a new way to identify the earliest signs of cognitive decline. We examine the feasibility of using secure online technology to link ongoing financial activity monitoring data with other objective measures of function and cognition in a cohort of independent living older adults. To date, 73 older adults (mean age = 76.8, MoCA = 25.9) have enrolled and are participating in a 12-month online financial monitoring program that tracks account activity and generates alerts for unusual or irregular transactions. At baseline participants are administered a battery of neuropsychological tests and the Financial Capacity Instrument (FCI), a measure of financial capacity using tasks of everyday financial activity. Financial monitoring data are collected continuously, and are summarized and reported monthly. Younger participants had more online transactions and higher FCI scores. FCI total score was positively correlated with animal fluency (p &lt; .02), Trails A (p &lt; .03) and B (p &lt; .0001), and visual memory (p &lt; .0008). Number of online transactions in one month was correlated with FCI score, and Trails B (faster time to completion). Lower MoCA scores were associated with higher number of alerts per month.

scholarly journals Expectancy of Stress-Reducing Aromatherapy Effect and Performance on a Stress-Sensitive Cognitive Task

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina Chamine ◽  
Barry S. Oken
Keyword(s):  
Task Performance ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Specific Effects ◽  
N200 Amplitude ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
And Performance

Objective. Stress-reducing therapies help maintain cognitive performance during stress. Aromatherapy is popular for stress reduction, but its effectiveness and mechanism are unclear. This study examined stress-reducing effects of aromatherapy on cognitive function using the go/no-go (GNG) task performance and event related potentials (ERP) components sensitive to stress. The study also assessed the importance of expectancy in aromatherapy actions.Methods. 81 adults were randomized to 3 aroma groups (active experimental, detectable, and undetectable placebo) and 2 prime subgroups (prime suggesting stress-reducing aroma effects or no-prime). GNG performance, ERPs, subjective expected aroma effects, and stress ratings were assessed at baseline and poststress.Results. No specific aroma effects on stress or cognition were observed. However, regardless of experienced aroma, people receiving a prime displayed faster poststress median reaction times than those receiving no prime. A significant interaction for N200 amplitude indicated divergent ERP patterns between baseline and poststress for go and no-go stimuli depending on the prime subgroup. Furthermore, trends for beneficial prime effects were shown on poststress no-go N200/P300 latencies and N200 amplitude.Conclusion. While there were no aroma-specific effects on stress or cognition, these results highlight the role of expectancy for poststress response inhibition and attention.

scholarly journals The effect of age on postural and cognitive task performance while using vibrotactile feedback

2015 ◽  
Vol 113 (7) ◽  
pp. 2127-2136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chia-Cheng Lin ◽  
Susan L. Whitney ◽  
Patrick J. Loughlin ◽  
Joseph M. Furman ◽  
Mark S. Redfern ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Center Of Pressure ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Balance Performance ◽  
Vibrotactile Feedback ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Trunk Tilt ◽  
Effect Of Age

Vibrotactile feedback (VTF) has been shown to improve balance performance in healthy people and people with vestibular disorders in a single-task experimental condition. It is unclear how age-related changes in balance affect the ability to use VTF and if there are different attentional requirements for old and young adults when using VTF. Twenty younger and 20 older subjects participated in this two-visit study to examine the effect of age, VTF, sensory condition, cognitive task, duration of time, and visit on postural and cognitive performance. Postural performance outcome measures included root mean square of center of pressure (COP) and trunk tilt, and cognitive performance was assessed using the reaction time (RT) from an auditory choice RT task. The results showed that compared with younger adults, older adults had an increase in COP in fixed platform conditions when using VTF, although they were able to reduce COP during sway-referenced platform conditions. Older adults also did not benefit fully from using VTF in their first session. The RTs for the secondary cognitive tasks increased significantly while using the VTF in both younger and older adults. Older adults had a larger increase compared with younger adults, suggesting that greater attentional demands were required in older adults when using VTF information. Future training protocols for VTF should take into consideration the effect of aging.

Dietary, Anthropometric, Blood-Lipid, and Performance Patterns of American College Football Players during 8 Weeks of Training

2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 444-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rochelle D. Kirwan ◽  
Lindsay K. Kordick ◽  
Shane McFarland ◽  
Denver Lancaster ◽  
Kristine Clark ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Performance Measures ◽  
Fat Mass ◽  
Blood Lipid ◽  
Low Density Lipoproteins ◽  
Football Players ◽  
Low Density ◽  
Early Season ◽  
Performance Patterns ◽  
And Performance

Purpose:The purpose of this study was to determine the dietary, anthropometric, blood-lipid, and performance patterns of university-level American football players attempting to increase body mass during 8 wk of training.Methods:Three-day diet records, body composition (DEXA scan), blood lipids, and performance measures were collected in redshirt football players (N = 15, age 18.5 ± 0.6 yr) early season and after 8 wk of in-season training.Results:There was an increase (p < .05) from early-season to postseason testing for reported energy (+45%), carbohydrate (+82%), and protein (+29%) intakes and no change in the intake of fat. Fat intake was 41% of energy at the early-season test and 32% of energy at the postseason test. Increases (p < .05 for all) in performance measures, lean mass (70.5 ± 7.7–71.8 ± 7.7 kg), fat mass (15.9 ± 6.2–17.3 ± 6.8 kg), plasma total cholesterol (193.5 ± 32.4–222.6 ± 40.0 mg/dl), and low-density lipoproteins (LDL; 92.7 ± 32.7–124.5 ± 34.7 mg/dl) were measured. No changes were measured in triglycerides, very-low-density lipoproteins, or high-density lipoproteins.Conclusion:Increases in strength, power, speed, total body mass, muscle mass, and fat mass were measured. Cholesterol and LDL levels increased during the study to levels associated with higher risk for cardiovascular disease. It is possible that this is a temporary phenomenon, but it is cause for concern and an indication that dietary education to promote weight gain in a manner less likely to adversely affect the lipid profile is warranted.

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