语言认知老化机制及其神经基础

老龄化个体出现的认知障碍在某种程度上是由于语言的认知老化所导致,因此,了解语言认知老化的具体表现、老化机制及其神经基础对于延缓语言认知老化、矫正老年痴呆有重要意义。首先基于理解和产生两个维度,分别从词汇、句子和文本三个层面分析了语言认知老化的表现,而后着重从工作记忆的角度分析了语言认知老化的认知机制,在此基础上,进一步从词汇加工、语义提取、句法分析三个方面分析了语言认知老化的神经基础,并指出半球不对称性减弱和脑区的弥散性激活是语言认知老化的主要神经表现。最后,围绕着语言认知老化的"发展进程、领域表现形式、干预矫正方法"三个必须解决的问题展开讨论,为该领域未来的发展做出理论上的铺垫。     

Effects of aging on the relation between episodic simulation and prosocial intentions

Imagining helping a person in need can facilitate prosocial intentions. Here we investigated how this effect can change with aging. We found that, similar to young adults, older adults were more willing to help a person in need when they imagined helping that person compared to a baseline condition that did not involve helping, but not compared to a conceptual helping control condition. Controlling for heightened emotional concern in older adults revealed an age-related difference in the effect of imagining on willingness to help. While we observed age-related condition effects, we also found that the subjective vividness of scene imagery predicted willingness to help for both age groups. Our findings provide insight into the relations among episodic simulation, healthy aging, emotion, and prosociality. Implications for effects of episodic memory and aging on social decision-making are discussed.     

Forever Young: Pastoral Care and the Experience of “Aging,” Reconsidered

As we age, we inevitably experience diminishment in our physical functioning yet this need not yield a diminished sense of self. Our personal interior life and our ability to find grace in the midst of challenges are not adequately defined by the psychological, medical, or theological understandings of aging that we have inherited. Rather, there is positive potential in aging, particularly if we hone our adaptive coping skills. Pastoral care providers can facilitate enrichment of individuals’ and faith communities’ capacity for adaptive coping and ability to view the aging process as filled with new adventures of grace.     

Naturalizing Myths of Aging: Reading Popular Culture

This essay blends distinct fields of study--namely semiotics, gerontology, geriatrics, and the critical analysis of dramatic and filmic comedy of the modern era--in a way that we hope sheds light on the perception of elders both in our cultural tradition and in our current society. By bringing to bear these disciplines on this issue, we attempt to expose one way that erroneous perceptions about the elderly--myths, if you will--are propagated. Why is it, for example, that the majority of Americans have generally negative attitudes towards elders and the aging process despite the fact that such stereotypes are all contradicted by reality (Palmore, 1990)? What is it that we fear--and perhaps loathe--when it comes to our aging ? And why are we so irrational about this topic? How do myths of aging originate? And whose agenda might they serve? Is there some effective way that these myths can be defused in the popular mind? The above are all problematic questions, some with potentially disturbing answers. Yet we believe that by beginning to understand the linguistic and perceptual mechanisms by which myths of aging come into existence, a crucial first step will be taken toward understanding the source and the scope of the myths themselves. Perhaps only then will we be, as a society, in a position to countermand these usually harmful and often destructive misconceptions about our elderly population.     

Modulation of cholinergic transmission enhances excitability of hippocampal pyramidal neurons and ameliorates learning impairments in aging animals

Four cholinesterase inhibitors have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treating behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Here we review our experiences with two cholinesterase inhibitors (metrifonate and galanthamine) and a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor agonist (CI-1017) in behavioral pharmacological and brain slice experiments in aging and young rabbits. Aging rabbits are impaired in their ability to acquire the hippocampus-dependent trace eyeblink conditioning task, as compared to young controls. A large proportion of aging animals cannot reach behavioral criterion in this task. Those that do learn, do so more slowly. In addition, the post-burst afterhyperpolarization and spike frequency accommodation is increased in hippocampal pyramidal neurons from aging animals, i.e., cellular excitability is reduced as compared to those from young animals. Metrifonate, galanthamine, and CI-1017 reduced the learning deficits observed in aging rabbits so that they learned almost as quickly as young controls. These cholinergic compounds also enhanced the postsynaptic excitability of hippocampal pyramidal neurons in vitro. Therefore, we propose that the amelioration of learning impairment with the cholinergic compounds may in part be due to the enhanced excitability of hippocampal pyramidal neurons. The potential relevance of our studies to further understanding the cellular and behavioral changes that occur with normal aging and Alzheimer's Disease is discussed.     

Depressive symptoms, cortisol, and cognition during human aging: the role of negative aging perceptions

Depressive symptoms and memory impairments are associated with heightened stress hormone levels during aging. A factor that is related to memory deficits during aging is internalized negative aging stereotypes; the idea people have about the process of aging. In this study, we assessed the associations between internalized negative aging stereotypes, depressive symptoms, subjective and objective memory assessments, and cortisol concentration among older adults. Forty older adults aged between 58 and 85 years (18 females and 22 males; mean age?±?SD: 71.25?±?8.80 years) were assessed in this study. Measures of internalized negative aging stereotypes, depressive symptoms, and both subjective and objective memory performance were assessed. Salivary samples were obtained for measurement of cortisol concentration. Stepwise linear regressions were executed in our main analyses. Internalized negative aging stereotypes were associated with increased depressive symptoms and subjective memory complaints. No significant differences were observed for objective memory performance, or cortisol concentration. Internalized negative aging stereotypes are associated with increased depressive symptomatology and subjective complaints of memory; however, they do not predict increased cortisol concentration nor objective memory performance during aging. These results indicate that the mechanism underlying the association between internalized negative aging stereotypes and cognitive impairments may not be related to dysregulations of cortisol secretion among older adults.     

常态脑老化认知功能障碍及相关代谢机制研究进展

常态脑老化（NBA ）是老年期痴呆的首要危险因素,与病态性脑老化有相似的病理基础,但并不完全相同。虽然单一的“脑老化”因素并不足以成为导致老年期痴呆的独立原因,但脑老化状态确实使得大脑对外界负性刺激的敏感性增加,进而使老年人更容易发生认知障碍。阿尔茨海默病等老年痴呆症状的治疗方面尚无逆转的方法,而是重在预防。因此,我们将重点放在痴呆发生之前更早的阶段---常态脑老化阶段,就常态脑老化状态下与认知功能障碍的表现、发生机理及代谢相关机制进行综述,旨在为早期寻找措施防止老年期痴呆性认知功能下降提供理论基础。     

Assessment of adult age differences in task engagement: The utility of systolic blood pressure

The constructs of effort and engagement are central to many theoretical frameworks associated with the study of aging. Age differences in the effort associated with effortful cognitive operations have been hypothesized to account for aging effects in ability, and shifting goals and motivation have been hypothesized to be associated with differential levels of engagement across situations in younger and older adults. Unfortunately, the assessment of effort and engagement—constructs that we view as relatively synonymous—has suffered in the field of aging due to the lack of well-validated measures. We suggest that systolic blood pressure might provide an easy and valid means for examining age differences in mental effort, and present evidence in support of its usage. Existing findings clearly support its potential utility, but further empirical and theoretical work is necessary.     

DNA甲基化与衰老的哲学思考

伴随着分子生物学的发展,人类对于衰老的认识从最初的整体动物水平推进到了细胞水平和分子水平,DNA甲基化与衰老的研究也成为生命科学领域研究的热点之一。DNA甲基化与衰老中体现了微观与宏观的哲学思想,在实际的科研及临床工作中掌握科学的哲学思维方法非常重要。     

Decline and Compensation in Aging Brain and Cognition: Promises and Constraints

Age-related cognitive declines are common and inevitable, but life trajectories of brain and cognitive functions are variable and plastic. To identify the mechanisms of decline, the prospects for improvement, and the constraints on the remedial approaches, the contributors of this special issuer examine several diverse areas of cognitive and brain aging: from structural and metabolic brain aging to genetics, and from age-sensitive cognitive domains to those that resist aging. In spite of such thematic diversity, several common threads are clear. To achieve better compensation for age-related changes in cognition, we need to understand their brain substrates, telling cognitively relevant from epiphenomenal. We also need to understand the sources of profound individual variability in aging trajectories, and to learn to tailor interventions to specific individual profiles of decline.     

How do we get there? Effects of cognitive aging on route memory

Research into the effects of cognitive aging on route navigation usually focuses on differences in learning performance. In contrast, we investigated age-related differences in route knowledge after successful route learning. One young and two groups of older adults categorized using different cut-off scores on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), were trained until they could correctly recall short routes. During the test phase, they were asked to recall the sequence in which landmarks were encountered (Landmark Sequence Task), the sequence of turns (Direction Sequence Task), the direction of turn at each landmark (Landmark Direction Task), and to identify the learned routes from a map perspective (Perspective Taking Task). Comparing the young participant group with the older group that scored high on the MoCA, we found effects of typical aging in learning performance and in the Direction Sequence Task. Comparing the two older groups, we found effects of early signs of atypical aging in the Landmark Direction and the Perspective Taking Tasks. We found no differences between groups in the Landmark Sequence Task. Given that participants were able to recall routes after training, these results suggest that typical and early signs of atypical aging result in differential memory deficits for aspects of route knowledge.     

Explaining neurocognitive aging: is one factor enough?

As an introduction to the special issue on neurocognitive factors underlying age effects, we discuss a number of recent developments in the literature on aging. The classic distinction between generalized and process-specific cognitive changes with old age has reappeared in the distinctions between the frontal lobe hypothesis and more differentiated views of neurocognitive aging. We argue that neurological decay in the frontal cortex has important implications for cognitive control, but that the frontal lobe hypothesis does not capture the plethora of changes that characterize aging and incorrectly suggests a unitary effect.     

Explicitly modeling the effects of aging on response time

Research into the effects of aging on response time has focused on Brinley plots. Brinley plots are constructed by plotting mean response times for older subjects against those for young subjects for a set of experimental conditions. The typical result is a straight line with a slope greater than 1 and a negative intercept. This linear function has been interpreted as showing that aging leads to a general slowing of cognitive processes. In this article, we show that the slope of the Brinley plot is actually a measure of the relative standard deviations of older versus young subjects’ response times; it is not a measure of general slowing. We examine current models of the effects of aging on mean response time and show how they might be reinterpreted. We also show how a more comprehensive model, Ratcliff’s diffusion model (1978), can account for Brinley plot regularities and, at the same time, provide an account of accuracy rates, the shapes of response time distributions, and the relative speeds of error and correct response times, aspects of the data about which models designed to account for Brinley plots are mute. We conclude by endorsing a research approach that applies explicit models to response time data in aging in order to use the parameters of the model to interpret the effects of aging.     

Cognitive and non-cognitive factors contributing to the longitudinal identification of successful older adults in the betula study

Studies of successful aging have typically defined elderly who fall in the upper end of a distribution of test scores as successful. A different definition of successful aging requires that older adults fall at or above the mean level of younger adults and maintain this level over time. Here we examined this definition of successful aging in a sample of 1463 individuals between the ages of 50 of 85. Based on principal coordinate analysis of cognitive and non-cognitive variables, we identified a group of 55 (8.3%) 70-85 years olds that were high functioning. This group of elderly showed elevated performance on a range of cognitive tasks. Non-cognitive factors that characterized this group included education and subjective health. The participants were retested 5 years later and the same type of analysis was repeated. Of the remaining individuals who initially were classified as high functioning, 18 (35%) remained high functioning and thus met the definition for successful aging. Years of education was a significant predictor of who remained successful over time.     

How do within-person changes due to aging affect job performance?

As the mean age of the workforce in industrialized countries trends upward, increasing attention has been paid to group-level differences between younger and older workers in terms of job performance. The present article takes an alternative perspective by examining within-person changes that occur with aging and how the process of aging affects employees' workplace behavior. We begin by highlighting five areas in which we observe major within-person changes related to aging: (1) cognitive capacity, (2) personality, (3) goal orientation, (4) social-emotional experience, and (5) health. Then, we demonstrate why and how these within-person changes due to aging affect core task performance, citizenship behavior, and counterproductive work behavior across the lifespan.     

What Does Successful Aging Sound Like? Profiling Communication About Aging

We draw on the recently developed communicative ecology model of successful aging (CEMSA) to examine how adults communicate about aging and how these communication patterns relate to experiences of successful aging. Using latent class analysis across 2 datasets collected in New Zealand and the United States, we identify 3 distinct classes of agers (disengaged, engaged, and bantering) defined by different profiles of communication behavior. Across samples, an engaged profile was generally associated with the most positive experiences of aging, whereas a disengaged profile was associated with the least positive experiences, although these differences were surprisingly small. Our results highlight the diverse ways in which individuals communicatively engage with the process of aging and experience aging as positive and successful.     

How do within-person changes due to aging affect job performance?

As the mean age of the workforce in industrialized countries trends upward, increasing attention has been paid to group-level differences between younger and older workers in terms of job performance. The present article takes an alternative perspective by examining within-person changes that occur with aging and how the process of aging affects employees' workplace behavior. We begin by highlighting five areas in which we observe major within-person changes related to aging: (1) cognitive capacity, (2) personality, (3) goal orientation, (4) social-emotional experience, and (5) health. Then, we demonstrate why and how these within-person changes due to aging affect core task performance, citizenship behavior, and counterproductive work behavior across the lifespan.     

Aging as a Social Form: The Phenomenology of the Passage

If philosophers have discussed life as preparation for death, this seems to make aging coterminous with dying and a melancholy passage that we are condemned to survive. It is important to examine the discourse on aging and end of life and the ways various models either limit possibilities for human agency or suggest means of being innovative in relation to such parameters. I challenge developmental views of aging not by arguing for eternal life, but by using Plato’s conception of form in conjunction with Simmel’s work and Arendt’s meditation on intergenerational solidarity, to evoke a picture of the subject as having capacities that offer avenues for improvisational action. This paper proposes a method for analyzing any social form as a problem-solving situation where the real “problem” is the fundamental ambiguity that inheres in the mix between the finite characteristics of the action and its infinite perplexity. I work through the most conventional chronological view of aging to show how it dramatizes a fundamental ethical collision in life that intensifies anxiety under many conditions, always raising the question of what is to be done with respect to contingency, revealing such “work” as a paradigm of the human condition.     

Structural Imaging Measures of Brain Aging

During the course of normal aging, biological changes occur in the brain that are associated with changes in cognitive ability. This review presents data from neuroimaging studies of primarily “normal” or healthy brain aging. As such, we focus on research in unimpaired or nondemented older adults, but also include findings from lifespan studies that include younger and middle aged individuals as well as from populations with prodromal or clinically symptomatic disease such as cerebrovascular or Alzheimer’s disease. This review predominantly addresses structural MRI biomarkers, such as volumetric or thickness measures from anatomical images, and measures of white matter injury and integrity respectively from FLAIR or DTI, and includes complementary data from PET and cognitive or clinical testing as appropriate. The findings reveal highly consistent age-related differences in brain structure, particularly frontal lobe and medial temporal regions that are also accompanied by age-related differences in frontal and medial temporal lobe mediated cognitive abilities. Newer findings also suggest that degeneration of specific white matter tracts such as those passing through the genu and splenium of the corpus callosum may also be related to age-related differences in cognitive performance. Interpretation of these findings, however, must be tempered by the fact that comorbid diseases such as cerebrovascular and Alzheimer’s disease also increase in prevalence with advancing age. As such, this review discusses challenges related to interpretation of current theories of cognitive aging in light of the common occurrence of these later-life diseases. Understanding the differences between “Normal” and “Healthy” brain aging and identifying potential modifiable risk factors for brain aging is critical to inform potential treatments to stall or reverse the effects of brain aging and possibly extend cognitive health for our aging society.