Objective: The aim of this study is to detect functional changes in the
brain during the memory task with aging and the association between
functional changes and memory performance.
Method: The study consisted of Young Adult Group (YAG, n=20)
aged 20 to 25 and Late Adult Group (LAG, n=18) aged 60 to 70.
Individuals with Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores above
21 and no family history of Alzheimer’s Disease were included in the
study. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scanning was
performed on all participants during a memory task including encoding
(face and name), face and name recognition sub-tasks.
Results: Results indicated that LAG showed increased activity during
face recognition task in left posterior cingulate cortex, left superior
frontal cortex, left fusiform face area and another increased activity was
found out during name recognition task in left superior frontal cortex,
right prefrontal cortex, left anterior + posterior cingulate cortex. The
accuracy of face recognition and name recognition memory tests were
significantly lower in LAG (respectively, p=0.026; p=0.001).
Conclusion: These results indicated that advanced age were associated
with more widespread activation in brain during memory task. Thus
with aging, individuals require more neuronal and cognitive resources
during memory processing.
Keywords: Cognitive Neuroscience, Memory, Aging, fMRI