Temporal Information Processing and its Relation to Executive Functions in Elderly Individuals

Abstract

Normal aging triggers deterioration in cognitive functions. Evidence has shown that these age-related changes concern also executive functions (EF) as well as temporal information processing (TIP) in a millisecond range. A considerable amount of literature data has indicated that each of these two functions sets a frame for our mental activity and may be considered in terms of embodied cognition due to advanced age. The present study addresses the question whether in elderly subjects the efficiency of TIP is related to individual differences in EF. The study involved 53 normal healthy participants aged from 65 to 78. In these subjects TIP was assessed by sequencing abilities measured with temporal-order threshold (TOT). It is defined as the minimum time gap separating two auditory stimuli presented in rapid succession which is necessary for a subject to report correctly their temporal order, thus the relation ‘before-after.’ The EF were assessed with regard to the efficiency of the executive planning measured with the Tower of London-Drexel University (TOLDX) which has become a well-known EF task. Using Spearman’s rank correlations we observed two main results. Firstly, the indices of the TOLDX indicated a coherent construct reflecting the effectiveness of executive planning in the elderly. Initiation time seemed dissociated from these coherent indices, which suggested a specific strategy of mental planning in the elderly based on on-line planning rather than on preplanning. Secondly, TOT was significantly correlated with the indices of TOLDX. Although some of these correlations were modified by subject’s age, the correlation between TOT and the main index of TOLDX (‘Total Move Score’) was rather age resistant. These results suggest that normal aging may be characterized by an overlapping of deteriorated TIP and deteriorated EF.

Commentary: Effects of Video Game Training on Measures of Selective Attention and Working Memory in Older Adults: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial

“…In our previous report we extended the relation “ timing-cognition ,” indicating correlations between the efficiency of temporal resolution and executive functions (Nowak et al, 2016 ). It suggests a common neural mechanisms underlying these two mental functions.…”

Maintenance vs. Manipulation in Auditory Verbal Working Memory in the Elderly: New Insights Based on Temporal Dynamics of Information Processing in the Millisecond Time Range

“…As mentioned in ''Introduction'' section, previous studies have suggested that TIP plays an important role in numerous cognitive functions, such as language, attention, learning, executive processes, and WM (Pöppel, 1997;Poeppel, 2003;Szymaszek et al, 2009;Ulbrich et al, 2009;Nowak et al, 2016). Because of the specific temporal dynamics of these functions, it can be assumed that they are rooted in a defined time template creating the neural frame for our mental activity.…”

“…One may assume, therefore, that TIP constitutes a neural basis for mental activity in both normal and pathological conditions, including cognitive declines in healthy aging (e.g., Szymaszek et al, 2009;Teixeira et al, 2013). Accumulated data have also indicated age-related deterioration in TIP (e.g., Fitzgibbons and Gordon-Salant, 1994;Kolodziejczyk and Szelag, 2008;Szymaszek et al, 2009;Kumar and Sangamanatha, 2011;Nowak et al, 2016).…”

“…The main objective of the present study is to understand such individual differences in elderly subjects with reference to temporal information processing (TIP). The rationale for this approach comes from a number of literature studies, including studies conducted in our laboratory, which indicate that TIP in the millisecond range sets a frame for our mental activity and determines human behaviors (e.g., Szelag et al, 2011 ; Bao et al, 2013 , 2014 ; Nowak et al, 2016 ). Many mental functions, including WM, may be characterized by their specific temporal dynamics in the millisecond domain; hence, patterning in time is considered to be one of the characteristic features of our working brains (Lewandowska et al, 2010 ; Radua et al, 2014 ; Nowak et al, 2016 ).…”

“…The rationale for this approach comes from a number of literature studies, including studies conducted in our laboratory, which indicate that TIP in the millisecond range sets a frame for our mental activity and determines human behaviors (e.g., Szelag et al, 2011 ; Bao et al, 2013 , 2014 ; Nowak et al, 2016 ). Many mental functions, including WM, may be characterized by their specific temporal dynamics in the millisecond domain; hence, patterning in time is considered to be one of the characteristic features of our working brains (Lewandowska et al, 2010 ; Radua et al, 2014 ; Nowak et al, 2016 ). One may assume, therefore, that TIP constitutes a neural basis for mental activity in both normal and pathological conditions, including cognitive declines in healthy aging (e.g., Szymaszek et al, 2009 ; Teixeira et al, 2013 ).…”