Young and Middle Aged Adults Differ in Neural Correlate of Sustained Attention: A fNIRS Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shweta Shenoy ◽  
Prachi Khandekar ◽  
Abhinav Sathe
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Sustained Attention ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Middle Age ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Middle Aged Adults

: Sustained attention (SA) is a construct of cognition that tends to decline with age. There is a lack of literature regarding the neural correlates of SA in middle age, a link between young and old age. This study evaluated the differences in SA ability and its neural correlates using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) between young and middle-aged adults. 38 young and 25 middle-aged adults were evaluated for the changes in neural correlates (oxy and deoxyhemoglobin concentration in the prefrontal cortex) during a SA task known as cognition. The results showed that young adults performed significantly better than middle-aged adults on the SA task with no gender difference in their performance. There was a significant difference in the prefrontal activation pattern between young and middle-aged adults. We found right prefrontal dominance in young adults and left the prefrontal authority in middle-aged adults. This study concludes that the ability to maintain SA diminishes with age, advancing from young to middle age. Hemodynamic findings confirmed significant differences in neural resources in the prefrontal cortical areas between young and middle age. Findings document the neurobiological basis of age-related decline in the middle-aged population to understand changes in the brain's functioning during SA-related cognitive tasks.

scholarly journals Impaired Sensorimotor Processing During Complex Gait Precedes Behavioral Changes in Middle-aged Adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 74 (12) ◽  
pp. 1861-1869 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trina Mitchell ◽  
Faryn Starrs ◽  
Jean-Paul Soucy ◽  
Alexander Thiel ◽  
Caroline Paquette
Keyword(s):  
Posterior Parietal Cortex ◽  
Middle Age ◽  
Progressive Failure ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Synaptic Activity ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Sensorimotor Processing ◽  
18F Fluorodeoxyglucose ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Middle Aged Adults

Abstract Gait impairment during complex walking in older adults is thought to result from a progressive failure to compensate for deteriorating peripheral inputs by central neural processes. It is the primary hypothesis of this article that failure of higher cerebral adaptations may already be present in middle-aged adults who do not present observable gait impairments. We, therefore, compared metabolic brain activity during steering of gait (ie, complex locomotion) and straight walking (ie, simple locomotion) in young and middle-aged individuals. Cerebral distribution of [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose, a marker of brain synaptic activity, was assessed during over ground straight walking and steering of gait using positron emission tomography in seven young adults (aged 24 ± 3) and seven middle-aged adults (aged 59 ± 3). Brain regions involved in steering of gait (posterior parietal cortex, superior frontal gyrus, and cerebellum) are retained in middle age. However, despite similar walking performance, there are age-related differences in the distribution of [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose during steering: middle-aged adults have (i) increased activation of precentral and fusiform gyri, (ii) reduced deactivation of multisensory cortices (inferior frontal, postcentral, and fusiform gyri), and (iii) reduced activation of the middle frontal gyrus and cuneus. Our results suggest that preclinical decline in central sensorimotor processing in middle age is observable during complex walking.

A-46 Impairments in Memory for “Who”, “When”, and “Where” are Detectable in Middle-Aged Adults

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 905-905
Author(s):  
A Mustafa ◽  
I Beltran-Najera ◽  
P Gilbert ◽  
L Graves ◽  
H Holden ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Correct Sequence ◽  
Middle Aged Adults

Abstract Objective We conducted a cross-sectional study to examine age-¬related differences in performance on a new test assessing memory for “who, when, and where” and associations among these elements. The test was designed to assess aspects of episodic memory by simulating an everyday experience of meeting a series of different people in different places across time. Method Healthy young (ages 18¬-25), middle-aged (ages 40-55), and older adults (ages 60+) were asked to remember a sequence of pictures of different faces paired with different places. After viewing the sequence, the participants were asked to pair each face with the correct place and put the face-place pairs in the correct sequence. Participants also completed a battery of standardized neuropsychological tests. Results Young adults remembered significantly more face-place pairs in the correct sequence than middle-aged (p < .05) and older adults (p < .05). There were no significant differences between middle-aged and older adults in the number of face-place pairs in correct sequence. Furthermore, young adults remembered significantly more face-place pairs irrespective of sequence than older adults (p < .05). There were no significant differences between young and middle-aged adults or between middle-aged and older adults in the number of correct face-place pairs irrespective of sequence. Conclusions Using a new test that incorporates aspects of episodic memory, we found evidence for age-related differences in test performance beginning in middle age. We found that performance on the test correlated with performance on standardized measures of verbal memory and executive functioning but not visual confrontation naming.

scholarly journals Discriminative Mobility Characteristics between Neurotypical Young, Middle-Aged, and Older Adults Using Wireless Inertial Sensors

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (19) ◽  
pp. 6644
Author(s):  
Clayton W. Swanson ◽  
Brett W. Fling
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Inertial Sensors ◽  
Comprehensive Analysis ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Balance Test ◽  
Mobility Test ◽  
Sit To Stand ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Middle Aged Adults

Age-related mobility research often highlights significant mobility differences comparing neurotypical young and older adults, while neglecting to report mobility outcomes for middle-aged adults. Moreover, these analyses regularly do not determine which measures of mobility can discriminate groups into their age brackets. Thus, the current study aimed to provide a comprehensive analysis for commonly performed aspects of mobility (walking, turning, sit-to-stand, and balance) to determine which variables were significantly different and furthermore, able to discriminate between neurotypical young adults (YAs), middle-aged adults (MAAs), and older adults (OAs). This study recruited 20 YAs, 20 MAAs, and 20 OAs. Participants came into the laboratory and completed mobility testing while wearing wireless inertial sensors. Mobility tests assessed included three distinct two-minute walks, 360° turns, five times sit-to-stands, and a clinical balance test, capturing 99 distinct mobility metrics. Of the various mobility tests assessed, only 360° turning measures demonstrated significance between YAs and MAAs, although the capacity to discriminate between groups was achieved for gait and turning measures. A variety of mobility measures demonstrated significance between MAAs and OAs, and furthermore discrimination was achieved for each mobility test. These results indicate greater mobility differences between MAAs and OAs, although discrimination is achievable for both group comparisons.

scholarly journals Muscle Thickness During Core Stability Exercises in Children and Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-144
Author(s):  
Eleftherios Kellis ◽  
Athanasios Ellinoudis ◽  
Konstantina Intziegianni ◽  
Nikolaos Kofotolis
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Muscle Thickness ◽  
Core Stability ◽  
Transversus Abdominis ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Multifidus Muscle ◽  
Lumbar Multifidus ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Asymptomatic Individuals ◽  
Middle Aged Adults

AbstractCore stability exercises are regular part of exercise programs for asymptomatic individuals across ages. The purpose of this study was to examine deep abdominal and multifidus muscle thickness in children and adults and to determine reliability of the rehabilitative ultrasound (RUSI) imaging. Transversus abdominis and lumbar multifidus thickness at rest and during core stability exercise were examined in pre-pubertal children (N = 23), adolescents (N = 20), young adults (N = 21) and middle-aged adults (N = 22). Thirty-nine participants were re-tested one week after to establish reliability. Muscle thickness at rest was lower in children and adolescents compared with young and middle-aged adults (p < 0.008). Young adults displayed the highest relative transversus abdominis thickness upon contraction (p < 0.008). Lumbar multfidus contraction thickness was greater in young-adults than middle-aged adults and pre-pubertal children (p < 0.008), but it was similar between young-adults and adolescents (p > 0.008). Reliability was high for both muscles (ICC3,3 = 0.76 - 0.99). The age-related differences in muscle thickness indicate that core stability exercises may be beneficial for children and middle-aged adults.

scholarly journals Playing Minecraft Improves Hippocampal-Associated Memory for Details in Middle Aged Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig E. L. Stark ◽  
Gregory D. Clemenson ◽  
Ujwal Aluru ◽  
Nikki Hatamian ◽  
Shauna M. Stark
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Middle Age ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Memory Function ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Middle Aged Adults ◽  
Age Related Cognitive Decline ◽  
The Impact

Concerns are often raised about the impact that playing video games may have on cognition and behavior, whether gameplay is intense and protracted as with competitive Esports or whether it is more casual gameplay. Work in our lab and others, however, has shown that at least some classes of games can improve memory function. In particular, playing immersive 3D games that provide rich experiences and novelty improve memory on tasks that rely upon the hippocampus in effects that mirror the effects of “environmental enrichment” in numerous rodent studies. Our goal in the present study was to determine whether even modest amounts of gameplay (~30 min/day for 4 weeks) would result in improved memory performance in middle-aged adults. Not only is this demographic potentially highly receptive to gaming (they make up a significant portion of Esports viewers and of game players), but interventions in middle age may be a prime time for reducing later age-related cognitive decline. Here, we found that the benefits in middle age paralleled effects previously observed in young adults as playing Minecraft, showing improved memory performance on a hippocampal dependent memory task.

scholarly journals Inflamm-Aging Is Associated with Lower Plasma PTX3 Concentrations and an Impaired Capacity of PBMCs to Express hTERT following LPS Stimulation

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron L. Slusher ◽  
Tiffany M. Zúñiga ◽  
Edmund O. Acevedo
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Telomere Length ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase ◽  
Negatively Associated ◽  
Htert Gene ◽  
Age Related

Age-related elevations in proinflammatory cytokines, known as inflamm-aging, are associated with shorter immune cell telomere lengths. Purpose. This study examined the relationship of plasma PTX3 concentrations, a biomarker of appropriate immune function, with telomere length in 15 middle-aged (40-64 years) and 15 young adults (20-31 years). In addition, PBMCs were isolated from middle-aged and young adults to examine their capacity to express a key mechanistic component of telomere length maintenance, human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), following ex vivo cellular stimulation. Methods. Plasma PTX3 and inflammatory cytokines (i.e., IL-6, IL-10, TGF-β, and TNF-α), PBMC telomere lengths, and PBMC hTERT gene expression and inflammatory protein secretion following exposure to LPS, PTX3, and PTX3+LPS were measured. Results. Aging was accompanied by the accumulation of centrally located visceral adipose tissue, without changes in body weight and BMI, and alterations in the systemic inflammatory milieu (decreased plasma PTX3 and TGF-β; increased TNF-α (p≤0.050)). In addition, shorter telomere lengths in middle-aged compared to young adults (p=0.011) were negatively associated with age, body fat percentages, and plasma TNF-α (r=−0.404, p=0.027; r=−0.427, p=0.019; and r=−0.323, p=0.041, respectively). Finally, the capacity of PBMCs to increase hTERT gene expression following ex vivo stimulation was impaired in middle-aged compared to young adults (p=0.033) and negatively associated with telomere lengths (r=0.353, p=0.028). Conclusions. Proinflammation and the impaired hTERT gene expression capacity of PBMCs may contribute to age-related telomere attrition and disease.

Clinical and Radiological Differences in Patients Following Traumatic SCI at Different Ages

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 305-314
Author(s):  
Thalia Saraiva Mendonça ◽  
Vitor Dias de Arruda Andrade ◽  
Pedro Nogarotto Cembraneli ◽  
Julia Brasileiro de Faria Cavalcante ◽  
André Salotto Rocha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Compression Fracture ◽  
Facial Trauma ◽  
Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Elderly Adults ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Middle Aged Adults

Background. Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is a lesion that can affect several spinal structures, including the vertebrae, spinal cord, ligaments, and other adjacent parts of the spine. Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) can cause functional changes in patients of different ages. Material and methods. The study aims to determine whether there are social, clinical, and radiological differences between young, middle-aged, and elderly adults with SCI caused by a ground-level fall. This retrospective study analyzed the records of patients with a clinical diagnosis of SCI. It enrolled patients with traumatic spinal cord injury after a ground-level fall divided as follows: young aged adults 18–35 years of age (G1); middle-aged adults aged 36–60 years (G2); and elderly adults aged over 60 years (G3). Their clinical, social, and radiological variables were analyzed. Results. It is observed that low schooling level, being widowed, and being a homemaker were more frequently encountered among elderly adults, whereas being single was more common in middle-aged adults. The morphologic diagnosis of compression fracture and the associated injury of facial trauma occurred more frequently in elderly adults, with an increasing tendency with age. Conservative therapeutic management was most commonly encountered in elderly adults, compared to surgery from a posterior approach in middle-aged adults. Listhesis was better identified in middle-aged adults by computed tomography (CT). Spinal cord contusion and injury to the C1 vertebra were demonstrated in young adults by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Conclusions. 1. Elderly adults with low education level, widowed, and homemakers were more susceptible to SCI caused by a fall. 2. Single marital status was more frequently noted in young adults. 3. The most frequent clinical aspects were the morphological aspect of compression fracture and fa­cial trauma as an associated injury in elderly adults, with the occurrence of facial trauma increasing with age. 4. Conservative therapeutic management was more common in elderly adults than surgery from a po­sterior approach in middle-aged adults. 5. Re­garding the radiological aspects of CT, listhesis was better identified in middle-aged adults. Spi­nal cord contusions and C1 vertebra lesions were better identified in young adults by MRI.

Effects of Corrective Taping on Balance and Gait in Patients With Hallux Valgus

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 532-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gozde Gur ◽  
Ozden Ozkal ◽  
Burcu Dilek ◽  
Songul Aksoy ◽  
Nilgun Bek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hallux Valgus ◽  
Dynamic Balance ◽  
Acute Effect ◽  
Clinical Test ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
Computerized Posturography ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Middle Aged Adults

Background: Taping is an effective temporary therapy for improving hallux valgus (HV) in adults. Although HV has been demonstrated to impair postural balance, there is a lack of information about how corrective taping affects balance and gait patterns in adults with HV deformity. Methods: Eighteen middle-aged female patients (average age, 53.5 years) with HV were included. Corrective tape was applied to correct HV angulation. A series of balance and gait stability tests were performed before applying tape and 1 hour after the tape was applied with a Balance Master computerized posturography device. The study involved the following tests: modified clinical test of sensory interaction and balance (mCTSIB), unilateral stance (US), limit of stability (LoS), step up/over (SUO), and walk across (WA) tests. Results: No significant difference was found between the no-tape and taped condition in the static balance mCTSIB and US tests ( P > .05). The taping intervention resulted in significant improvement in the dynamic balance measures for the LoS test’s backward reaction time and left maximum excursion ( P < .05), a significantly higher impact index bilaterally in the SUO assessment ( P < .05), and an increase in step width mean and variability in the WA test ( P < .05). Conclusions: Taping for correcting HV angulation had negative acute effects on dynamic balance in the SUO and WA tests and positive effects in the LoS test. Clinical Relevance: Corrective taping, although a form of conservative treatment for hallux valgus, has been insufficiently studied in terms of effects on balance. Our results show that taping, as an acute effect, may impair balance in middle-aged adults when walking or ascending and descending stairs.

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