Age-related neural dedifferentiation and cognition

Koen, Joshua D.; Srokova, Sabina; Rugg, Michael D.

doi:10.1016/j.cobeha.2020.01.006

Cited by 81 publications

(80 citation statements)

References 60 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The univariate and pattern similarity measures yielded convergent results indicating that scene-, but not face-selective, regions demonstrated reduced category-level selectivity with older age -that is, age-related neural dedifferentiation. The findings add to the already large literature describing age-related neural dedifferentiation effects (for review, see Koen et al, , 2020 and, importantly, also add to evidence suggesting that while the phenomenon is highly robust for scene stimuli, it is more elusive for other stimulus classes: faces in the present case, and objects in . Additionally, analogous to the findings of , the univariate metric of neural differentiation for scenes in the PPA demonstrated a positive, ageinvariant, relationship with source memory performance.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

“…Increasing age has been reported to be associated with reduced specificity and distinctiveness of neural representations, a phenomenon known as age-related neural dedifferentiation (for review, see Koen et al, , 2020. Computational models of cognitive aging suggest that neural dedifferentiation plays a role in age-related cognitive decline (Li et al, 2001;Li & Rieckmann, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Neural differentiation is moderated by age in scene- but not face-selective cortical regions

Srokova

Hill

Koen

et al. 2020

Preprint

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

AbstractThe aging brain is characterized by neural dedifferentiation – an apparent decrease in the functional selectivity of category-selective cortical regions. Age-related reductions in neural differentiation have been proposed to play a causal role in cognitive aging. Recent findings suggest, however, that age-related dedifferentiation is not equally evident for all stimulus categories and, additionally, that the relationship between neural differentiation and cognitive performance is not moderated by age. In light of these findings, in the present experiment younger and older human adults (males and females) underwent fMRI as they studied words paired with images of scenes or faces prior to a subsequent memory task. Neural selectivity was measured in two scene-selective (parahippocampal place area and retrosplenial cortex) and two face-selective (fusiform and occipital face areas) regions of interest using both a univariate differentiation index and multivoxel pattern similarity analysis. Both methods provided highly convergent results which revealed evidence of age-related reductions in neural dedifferentiation in scene-selective but not face-selective cortical regions. Additionally, neural differentiation in the parahippocampal place area demonstrated a positive, age-invariant relationship with subsequent source memory performance (recall of the image category paired with each recognized test word). These findings extend prior findings suggesting that age-related neural dedifferentiation is not a ubiquitous phenomenon, and that the specificity of neural responses to scenes is predictive subsequent memory performance independently of age.Significance StatementIncreasing age is associated with reduced neural specificity in cortical regions that are selectively responsive to a given perceptual stimulus category (age-related neural dedifferentiation), a phenomenon which has been proposed to contribute to cognitive aging. Recent findings reveal that age-related neural dedifferentiation is not present for all types of visual stimulus categories, and the factors which determine when the phenomenon arises remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that scene- but not face-selective cortical regions exhibit age-related neural dedifferentiation during an attentionally-demanding task. Additionally, we report that higher neural selectivity in the scene-selective ‘parahippocampal place area’ is associated with better memory performance after controlling for variance associated with age group, adding to evidence that neural differentiation impacts cognition across the adult lifespan.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neural differentiation is moderated by age in scene- but not face-selective cortical regions

Srokova

Hill

Koen

et al. 2020

Preprint

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…selectivity and category specificity remained significant (r = 0.37, p = .003), whereas partial correlations of item specificity to category selectivity (r = 0.14, p = .276) and category specificity (r = 0.17, p = .176) were not significant. These results underline previous theoretical distinctions between distinctiveness measures on category and item Koen et al, 2020) and furthermore emphasize the close relationship between both dedifferentiation measures on category level . Age and performance differences in occipital item specificity are driven by item stability Our linear mixed model analysis revealed that differences in item specificity account for interindividual differences in memory performance over and above the variance explained by all variables combined.…”

Section: Linking Neural Dedifferentiation Across Representational Levsupporting

confidence: 88%

Tracking Age Differences in Neural Distinctiveness across Representational Levels

Kobelt

Sommer

Keresztes

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SummaryThe distinctiveness of neural information representation is crucial for successful memory performance but declines with advancing age. Computational models implicate age-related neural dedifferentiation on the level of item representations, but previous studies mostly focused on age differences of categorical information representation in higher-order visual regions. In an age-comparative fMRI study, we combined univariate analyses and whole-brain searchlight pattern similarity analyses to elucidate age differences in neural distinctiveness at both category and item levels and their relation to memory. Age-related neural dedifferentiation was shown as reduced category-selective processing in ventral visual cortex and impoverished item specificity in occipital regions. Importantly, successful subsequent memory performance built upon high item stability which was greater in younger than older adults. Finally, we identified a multivariate profile of neural distinctiveness across representational levels that captured both age group and recognition performance differences, emphasizing that neural dedifferentiation is a generalized phenomenon in the aging brain.

show abstract

“…In sum, there is a clear tension between model-derived predictions for neural dedifferentiation and available empirical support. While many studies provided coherent evidence for neural dedifferentiation with age at the category level (for reviews, see Koen et al, 2020), they did not directly test a central tenet of computational models of dedifferentiation (Li and Sikström, 2002;Li et al, 2000Li et al, , 2001, namely reduced distinctiveness of single-item representations. Thus, whether age differences exist at the level of item representations is an ongoing debate in the field based on highly limited evidence (see e.g., .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracking Age Differences in Neural Distinctiveness across Representational Levels

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The distinctiveness of neural information representation is crucial for successful memory performance but declines with advancing age. Computational models implicate age-related neural dedifferentiation on the level of item representations, but previous studies mostly focused on age differences of categorical information representation in higher-order visual regions. In an age-comparative fMRI study, we combined univariate analyses and whole-brain searchlight pattern similarity analyses to elucidate age differences in neural distinctiveness at both category and item levels and their relation to memory. Age-related neural dedifferentiation was shown as reduced category-selective processing in ventral visual cortex and impoverished item specificity in occipital regions. Importantly, successful subsequent memory performance built upon high item stability which was greater in younger than older adults. Finally, we identified a multivariate profile of neural distinctiveness across representational levels that captured both age group and recognition performance differences, emphasizing that neural dedifferentiation is a generalized phenomenon in the aging brain.

show abstract

Age-related neural dedifferentiation and cognition

Cited by 81 publications

References 60 publications

Neural differentiation is moderated by age in scene- but not face-selective cortical regions

Neural differentiation is moderated by age in scene- but not face-selective cortical regions

Tracking Age Differences in Neural Distinctiveness across Representational Levels

Tracking Age Differences in Neural Distinctiveness across Representational Levels

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About