The adaptive brain: aging and neurocognitive scaffolding - PubMed (original) (raw)
Review
The adaptive brain: aging and neurocognitive scaffolding
Denise C Park et al. Annu Rev Psychol. 2009.
Abstract
There are declines with age in speed of processing, working memory, inhibitory function, and long-term memory, as well as decreases in brain structure size and white matter integrity. In the face of these decreases, functional imaging studies have demonstrated, somewhat surprisingly, reliable increases in prefrontal activation. To account for these joint phenomena, we propose the scaffolding theory of aging and cognition (STAC). STAC provides an integrative view of the aging mind, suggesting that pervasive increased frontal activation with age is a marker of an adaptive brain that engages in compensatory scaffolding in response to the challenges posed by declining neural structures and function. Scaffolding is a normal process present across the lifespan that involves use and development of complementary, alternative neural circuits to achieve a particular cognitive goal. Scaffolding is protective of cognitive function in the aging brain, and available evidence suggests that the ability to use this mechanism is strengthened by cognitive engagement, exercise, and low levels of default network engagement.
Figures
Figure 1
Cross-sectional aging data adapted from Park et al. (2002) showing behavioral performance on measures of speed of processing, working memory, long-term memory, and world knowledge. Almost all measures of cognitive function show decline with age, except world knowledge, which may even show some improvement.
Figure 2
Cross-sectional and longitudinal aging brain volumes across various brain regions (adapted from Raz et al. 2005). Each pair of line-connected dots represents an individual subject’s first and second measurement. The caudate, hippocampal, cerebellar, and frontal regions all show both cross-sectional and longitudinal reduction in volume with age. The entorhinal, parietal, temporal, and occipital regions are relatively preserved with age.
Figure 3
Frontal bilaterality is increased with age. (Left side) Left lateralized frontal engagement in young adults during a verbal working memory task; in older adults, an additional right frontal engagement is observed (adapted from Reuter-Lorenz et al. 2000). (Right side) Right lateralized engagement in young adults and low-performing older adults during a long-term memory task, and bilateral frontal engagement in high-performing older adults (adapted from Cabeza et al. 2002).
Figure 4
A conceptual model of the scaffolding theory of aging and cognition (STAC).
Similar articles
- Cerebral dysfunctions of emotion-cognition interactions in adolescent-onset schizophrenia.
Pauly K, Seiferth NY, Kellermann T, Backes V, Vloet TD, Shah NJ, Schneider F, Habel U, Kircher TT. Pauly K, et al. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2008 Nov;47(11):1299-310. doi: 10.1097/CHI.0b013e318184ff16. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2008. PMID: 18827725 - Intensive practice of a cognitive task is associated with enhanced functional integration in schizophrenia.
Schlösser R, Koch K, Wagner G, Schultz C, Röbel M, Schachtzabel C, Reichenbach JR, Sauer H. Schlösser R, et al. Psychol Med. 2009 Nov;39(11):1809-19. doi: 10.1017/S0033291709005820. Epub 2009 Apr 20. Psychol Med. 2009. PMID: 19379537 - Neuroplasticity and cognitive aging: the scaffolding theory of aging and cognition.
Goh JO, Park DC. Goh JO, et al. Restor Neurol Neurosci. 2009;27(5):391-403. doi: 10.3233/RNN-2009-0493. Restor Neurol Neurosci. 2009. PMID: 19847066 Free PMC article. Review. - Abnormal recruitment of working memory updating networks during maintenance of trauma-neutral information in post-traumatic stress disorder.
Moores KA, Clark CR, McFarlane AC, Brown GC, Puce A, Taylor DJ. Moores KA, et al. Psychiatry Res. 2008 Jul 15;163(2):156-70. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2007.08.011. Epub 2008 May 1. Psychiatry Res. 2008. PMID: 18455372 - Neuroplasticity in cognitive and psychological mechanisms of depression: an integrative model.
Price RB, Duman R. Price RB, et al. Mol Psychiatry. 2020 Mar;25(3):530-543. doi: 10.1038/s41380-019-0615-x. Epub 2019 Dec 4. Mol Psychiatry. 2020. PMID: 31801966 Free PMC article. Review.
Cited by
- Impaired brain ability of older adults to transit and persist to latent states with well-organized structures at wakeful rest.
Liu Z, Xia H, Chen A. Liu Z, et al. Geroscience. 2024 Oct 3. doi: 10.1007/s11357-024-01366-y. Online ahead of print. Geroscience. 2024. PMID: 39361232 - A Structural Equation Model for Understanding the Relationship between Cognitive Reserve, Autonomy, Depression and Quality of Life in Aging.
Gattuso M, Butti S, Benincá IL, Greco A, Di Trani M, Morganti F. Gattuso M, et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 Aug 23;21(9):1117. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21091117. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024. PMID: 39338000 Free PMC article. - Tai Chi Practice Buffers Aging Effects in Functional Brain Connectivity.
Cerna J, Gupta P, He M, Ziegelman L, Hu Y, Hernandez ME. Cerna J, et al. Brain Sci. 2024 Sep 6;14(9):901. doi: 10.3390/brainsci14090901. Brain Sci. 2024. PMID: 39335397 Free PMC article. - Age-related decline in source and associative memory.
Sümer E, Kaynak H. Sümer E, et al. Cogn Process. 2024 Sep 26. doi: 10.1007/s10339-024-01230-z. Online ahead of print. Cogn Process. 2024. PMID: 39325322 Review. - Physiology-inspired bifocal fronto-parietal tACS for working memory enhancement.
Pupíková M, Maceira-Elvira P, Harquel S, Šimko P, Popa T, Gajdoš M, Lamoš M, Nencha U, Mitterová K, Šimo A, Hummel FC, Rektorová I. Pupíková M, et al. Heliyon. 2024 Sep 6;10(18):e37427. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e37427. eCollection 2024 Sep 30. Heliyon. 2024. PMID: 39315230 Free PMC article.
References
- Backman L, Ginovart N, Dixon RA, Wahlin TB, Wahlin A, et al. Age-related cognitive deficits mediated by changes in the striatal dopamine system. Am J Psychiatry. 2000;157(4):635–37. - PubMed
- Baltes PB, Lindenberger U. Emergence of a powerful connection between sensory and cognitive functions across the adult life span: a new window to the study of cognitive aging? Psychol Aging. 1997;12(1):12–21. Describes the surprising relationship between sensory function and cognition in very old age, utilizing a large lifespan sample of adults. - PubMed
- Baltes PB, Mayer KU. The Berlin Aging Study: Aging from 70 to 100. New York: Cambridge Univ. Press; 1999.
- Banich MT. The missing link: the role of interhemispheric interaction in attentional processing. Brain Cogn. 1998;36(2):128–57. - PubMed
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Medical