前瞻记忆意向后效应的年龄差异

前瞻记忆意向后效应会对日常生活产生负面影响,研究发现这种现象在老年人中尤其突出。近些年来,研究者们从内外两方面对影响前瞻记忆意向后效应年龄差异的因素进行了探讨,了解到认知老化所带来的抑制能力的衰退以及短时记忆缺陷是造成其年龄差异的主要原因。未来研究需进一步拓展对认知老化的机制和抑制控制能力的认识。另外,可以采用事件相关电位（Event-Related Potentials, ERPs）和功能性磁共振成像（Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, fMRI）等脑成像技术揭示前瞻记忆意向后效应年龄差异的加工机制及神经机制。     

前瞻记忆意向后效应的年龄差异

前瞻记忆意向后效应会对日常生活产生负面影响,研究发现这种现象在老年人中尤其突出。近些年来,研究者们从内外两方面对影响前瞻记忆意向后效应年龄差异的因素进行了探讨,了解到认知老化所带来的抑制能力的衰退以及短时记忆缺陷是造成其年龄差异的主要原因。未来研究需进一步拓展对认知老化的机制和抑制控制能力的认识。另外,可以采用事件相关电位（Event-Related Potentials, ERPs）和功能性磁共振成像（Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, fMRI）等脑成像技术揭示前瞻记忆意向后效应年龄差异的加工机制及神经机制。     

老化对睡眠依赖性记忆巩固的影响

随着老化的发生和发展, 老年人的睡眠和记忆问题变得越来越突出。研究显示老年人针对程序性记忆的睡眠依赖性巩固能力受损, 而针对陈述性记忆的睡眠依赖性巩固研究结果尚存分歧。此外, 患有神经退行性疾病的老年人在正常老化的基础上伴有情景记忆睡眠依赖性巩固能力受损。未来研究应考虑同步采集脑电和脑成像数据, 探索增龄通过睡眠影响记忆的神经通路, 尝试搭建老化、睡眠以及记忆三因素的交互模型, 并从睡眠对记忆巩固影响的角度提出针对老年人记忆问题的干预措施。     

老年人情景记忆更新的改变：竞争记忆的回溯性干扰

记忆更新是获取新知识的一种重要能力。大量研究显示老年人情景记忆受损,但鲜有研究探讨老年人情景记忆更新模式的改变。研究在匹配了老年人和年轻人编码程度的前提下,探讨情景记忆更新的老化效应及其潜在的认知机制。我们对AB-AC记忆更新范式进行了创新,同时考察了在项目改变和位置改变条件下的老化效应,并在测试阶段纳入诱饵选项,进一步排除编码程度带来的影响。研究结果显示年轻人能对A-B和A-C记忆分离存储,而老年人更多地受到回溯性记忆干扰,即在A-B测试中出现C的闯入,并且该干扰效应显著地大于诱饵刺激带来的影响。研究结果表明,在年轻人和老年人编码程度匹配的情况下,年轻人的记忆更新通过记忆分化来实现,而老年人更多地受到竞争记忆的回溯性干扰。     

脑损伤和年老化研究的新视角——认知储备

认知储备是个体通过使用不同的大脑网络使成绩最优化的能力,反映了个体认知策略的选择。它最初来自临床心理学的观察,即个体的脑病理或脑损伤的程度与其临床表现之间没有直接的相关关系,包括储备和补偿两种机制。个体的受教育程度、职业水平、智力水平、健康状况、智力活动等都能反映其认知储备能力。对老年人和AD患者的人口统计学和脑成像研究表明,个体的认知储备能力越强,延缓其认知老化(或AD)的可能性就越大。     

路径知识习得的认知老化效应

年龄与路径知识习得的关系是空间与认知老化两大领域研究的重要议题。老年人在面对不同的路径学习环境时呈现出不同的认知老化表现。以往与年龄相关的路径知识习得能力变化的研究, 主要支持了认知老化衰退理论。然而近来发现随着年龄增长, 老年人保留了一种空间认知补偿能力。由此, 在对前人文献进行回顾和反思的基础上, 整合路径知识习得的认知老化表现及机制以探究缓解空间认知老化可能的内部因素和外部有效措施。     

记忆老化理论:Ⅰ 乐观论

0引言老化心理学（psychologyofaging）是当代心理学研究中发展迅猛的重要领域之一,其中认知老化,特别是记忆老化（memoryaging）更是理论家探讨的热点问题。为便于行文,可将记忆老化理论分为乐观论和悲观论两类。前者认为,老年人由于不能有效运用编码和提取策略而导致记忆较差,经过训练可以提高记忆成绩;后者认为,老年人由于基本认知机制衰退而造成记忆较差,各种补救都无济于事。这里先介绍记忆老化的乐观论,其悲观论男文述及。1元记忆衰退理论（met。memofyk。hre山e。-ry）无记忆（metamemoz’y）最初是指关于记忆的认知,即不同…     

老年执行功能的认知可塑性和神经可塑性

执行衰退假说认为执行功能的特异性衰退是引起认知年老化的主要原因, 近年来越来越多的研究表明, 老年人的执行功能及其相关脑区(主要为前额叶)存在可塑性, 通过训练执行功能的衰退可得到缓解, 且相关脑区的激活水平、脑容量或神经递质都可发生改变; 部分研究还发现执行功能训练对其它认知能力有一定的迁移效应。这些发现对于认知年老化理论的继续探索和认知干预研究的实践应用都具有重要意义。     

认知储备的测量及其在认知老化中的应用

认知储备是指个体自适应利用神经网络对不断增加的脑损伤进行补偿的能力, 它能显著影响个体的生理功能、认知功能和行为结果。当前有关认知储备的研究主要集中在认知储备的测量及其在认知老化研究中的应用方面。现有研究尽管已在认知储备的测量及其与认知老化的关系上取得越来越多的共识, 但在诸如认知储备测量的标准化、认知储备与认知衰退率、认知储备与脑病理的关系等问题上还存在较大争议。未来研究除应进一步标准化对认知储备的测量, 进而探讨认知储备的病理机制, 还应关注认知储备对老化的干预研究。     

从ERP研究看前瞻记忆的神经基础和认知加工机制

关于前瞻记忆的ERP研究主要关注两个方面：神经基础和认知加工机制。神经基础方面的研究发现：前瞻记忆诱发了两种特异性的ERP成分—— N300和前瞻性正波; 前瞻记忆与回溯性记忆的神经基础有相似又有不同; 老年人的前瞻记忆可能存在一种不同于年轻人的神经机制。认知加工机制方面的研究主要为前瞻记忆的预备注意加工和记忆加工理论提供了ERP方面的证据支持。     

Cognitive neuroscience of aging: contributions of functional neuroimaging

By revealing how brain activity during cognitive performance changes as a function of aging, studies using positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) are contributing to the development of a new discipline of Cognitive Neuroscience of Aging. This article reviews functional neuroimaging studies of cognitive aging in the domains of visual perception, episodic memory encoding and semantic memory retrieval, episodic memory retrieval, implicit memory, and working memory. The most consistent finding of these studies was that brain activity tends to be less lateralized in older adults than in younger adults. This finding is conceptualized in terms of a model called Hemispheric Asymmetry Reduction in Old Adults (HAROLD). According to a compensation hypothesis, bihemispheric involvement could help counteract age-related neurocognitive decline, whereas, according to a dedifferentiation hypothesis, it reflects a difficulty in recruiting specialized neural mechanisms.     

Memory aging and brain maintenance

Episodic memory and working memory decline with advancing age. Nevertheless, large-scale population-based studies document well-preserved memory functioning in some older individuals. The influential ‘reserve’ notion holds that individual differences in brain characteristics or in the manner people process tasks allow some individuals to cope better than others with brain pathology and hence show preserved memory performance. Here, we discuss a complementary concept, that of brain maintenance (or relative lack of brain pathology), and argue that it constitutes the primary determinant of successful memory aging. We discuss evidence for brain maintenance at different levels: cellular, neurochemical, gray- and white-matter integrity, and systems-level activation patterns. Various genetic and lifestyle factors support brain maintenance in aging and interventions may be designed to promote maintenance of brain structure and function in late life.     

Hemispheric asymmetry reduction in older adults: the HAROLD model

A model of the effects of aging on brain activity during cognitive performance is introduced. The model is called HAROLD (hemispheric asymmetry reduction in older adults), and it states that, under similar circumstances, prefrontal activity during cognitive performances tends to be less lateralized in older adults than in younger adults. The model is supported by functional neuroimaging and other evidence in the domains of episodic memory, semantic memory, working memory, perception, and inhibitory control. Age-related hemispheric asymmetry reductions may have a compensatory function or they may reflect a dedifferentiation process. They may have a cognitive or neural origin, and they may reflect regional or network mechanisms. The HAROLD model is a cognitive neuroscience model that integrates ideas and findings from psychology and neuroscience of aging.     

Episodic memory function is affected by lifestyle factors: a 14-year follow-up study in an elderly population

Understanding the relationship between memory function and lifestyle offers great opportunities for promoting beneficial lifestyle choices to foster healthy cognitive aging and for the development of intervention programs for older adults. We studied a cohort of older adults (age 65 and older) enrolled in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, an ongoing prospective population-based research project. A total of 1,966 men and women participated in an episodic memory test every 3 years over a period of 14 years. Lifestyle habits were repeatedly assessed using self-report measures. Physical activity, light-to-moderate alcohol consumption, difficulties staying asleep, and social engagement were associated with better memory function over the course of 14 years. In contrast, smoking and long sleep duration were associated with worse memory function. These findings suggest that certain lifestyle factors can have long-term protective or harmful effects on memory function in aging individuals.     

New visions of the aging mind and brain

Cognitive aging is widely viewed as a process of progressive mental loss. Compelling new evidence from functional neuroimaging urges a reconsideration of this pessimistic view. In the domains of working memory and episodic memory, older adults recruit different brain regions from those recruited by younger adults when performing the same tasks. Specifically, older adults show prominent changes in the recruitment of prefrontal regions, and a conspicuous increase in the extent to which activation patterns are bilateral. These results are stimulating new hypotheses about the mechanisms underlying age-related cognitive declines and the potential for compensation. By suggesting a life-long potential for reorganization and plasticity, these discoveries might revise long-held views of functional localization.     

Capitalizing on cortical plasticity: influence of physical activity on cognition and brain function

Given the aging populations in many countries throughout the world, there is an increasing interest in lifestyle factors and interventions that will enhance the cognitive vitality of older adults and reduce the risk for age-related neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. In this review, we evaluate the hypothesis that physical activity and exercise might serve to protect, and also enhance, cognitive and brain function across the adult lifespan. To this end, we critically review three separate literatures that have examined the influence of physical activity and exercise on cognition, brain function and brain structure of adults, including epidemiological or prospective observational studies, randomized human clinical interventions and non-human animal studies. We suggest that this literature supports the claim that physical activity enhances cognitive and brain function, and protects against the development of neurodegenerative diseases. We discuss future directions to address currently unresolved questions, such as interactions between multiple lifestyle factors on offsetting or protecting against cognitive and neural decline, and conclude that physical activity is an inexpensive treatment that could have substantial preventative and restorative properties for cognitive and brain function.     

Working memory predicts subsequent episodic memory decline during healthy cognitive aging: evidence from a cross-lagged panel design

Aging adults experience declines in working memory and episodic memory, however, it is unclear how these declines operate over time. Decreased working memory may be associated with early changes in episodic memory, by reducing older adults’ ability to meaningfully integrate new information into pre-existing schemas and recall information without the assistance of cues. Given the increased prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease, and concerns based on subjective memory changes, it is important to understand how these processes interact over time. To assess the relationship between working memory and episodic memory during healthy cognitive aging, we performed neuropsychological assessments at multiple time points in a sample of 310 community-dwelling older adults. Using a cross-lagged panel design, we demonstrated that the lagged associations between working memory and later episodic free recall were 50% larger than the lagged associations between episodic recall and later working memory, suggesting working memory may be a useful metric of future episodic memory decline.     

Proactive interference in working memory is related to adult age and cognitive factors: cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence from the Betula study

ABSTRACT

In working memory (WM), successful maintenance of information is affected by interference. Older adults may be especially susceptible to the effects of interference, which may cause age-related cognitive impairments. A relative score of IC was derived from cross-sectional (n = 869) and longitudinal (n = 443) data to investigate (1) if IC is reduced in normal aging, (2) if individual differences in IC related to individual performance in other cognitive domains, and (3) if 5-year change in IC is related to change in general cognition. Older age was associated with reduced IC, but no decline in IC occurred over 5 years. Also, the ability to control interference in WM was related to performance in episodic memory, verbal fluency, and block design. We also found that IC mediates the relationship between age and cognition, suggesting that age-related cognitive decline is linked to IC. Finally, we demonstrate that change in IC was related to decline in episodic memory.     

Effects of aging on the neural correlates of successful item and source memory encoding

To investigate the neural basis of age-related source memory (SM) deficits, young and older adults were scanned with fMRI while encoding faces, scenes, and face-scene pairs. Successful encoding activity was identified by comparing encoding activity for subsequently remembered versus forgotten items or pairs. Age deficits in successful encoding activity in hippocampal and prefrontal regions were more pronounced for SM (pairs) as compared with item memory (faces and scenes). Age-related reductions were also found in regions specialized in processing faces (fusiform face area) and scenes (parahippocampal place area), but these reductions were similar for item and SM. Functional connectivity between the hippocampus and the rest of the brain was also affected by aging; whereas connections with posterior cortices were weaker in older adults, connections with anterior cortices, including prefrontal regions, were stronger in older adults. Taken together, the results provide a link between SM deficits in older adults and reduced recruitment of hippocampal and prefrontal regions during encoding. The functional connectivity findings are consistent with a posterior-anterior shift with aging previously reported in several cognitive domains and linked to functional compensation.