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. 2018 Mar 27;13(3):e0194878.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194878. eCollection 2018.

Working memory, age and education: A lifespan fMRI study

Jo A Archer  1 , Annie Lee  2 , Anqi Qiu  2   3   4 , S-H Annabel Chen  1   5   6
Affiliations

Working memory, age and education: A lifespan fMRI study

Jo A Archer et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Ageing is associated with grey matter atrophy and changes in task-related neural activations. This study investigated the effects of age and education on neural activation during a spatial working memory task in 189 participants aged between 20-80 years old, whilst controlling for grey matter density. Age was related to linear decreases in neural activation in task activated areas, and this effect was no longer significant when adjusting for education or accuracy. Age was also related to cubic increases in neural activation in non-task related areas, such as the temporal gyrus, cuneus and cerebellum when adjusting for accuracy and education. These findings support previous lifespan datasets indicating linear age-related decreases in task activation, but non-linear increases in non-task related areas during episodic memory tasks. The findings also support past studies indicating education offers a form of cognitive reserve through providing a form of neural compensation and highlights the need to consider education in ageing studies.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. The spatial addition task.
HL = high load, LL = low load. Arrows indicate length of presentation. Participants determined if the shaded squares in the Probe were in the same positions as Target 1 and Target 2 combined, responding with a button press during the Probe period.
Fig 2
Fig 2. The sample.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Task performance.
HL = high load, LL = low load.
Fig 4
Fig 4. Task activations and deactivations for the whole sample.
Red = activation, blue = deactivation. Voxel p < .001, cluster p < .05(FWE-corrected).
Fig 5
Fig 5. Linear associations between age and task activations adjusted for grey matter probability.
a unmasked; b masked. Blue = decrease in activation with increasing age. Voxel p < .001, cluster p < .05(FWE-corrected).
Fig 6
Fig 6. Cubic associations between age and task activations.
a Cubic association with age, adjusted for GMP; b cubic association with age, adjusted for GMP with task positive mask; c cubic association with age adjusted for GMP with task negative mask; d cubic association with age adjusted for education and GMP; e cubic association with age adjusted for education, accuracy and GMP; f cubic association with age adjusted for a cubic education level, accuracy and GMP. GMP = grey matter probability, red = increased activation with increasing age, blue = decrease in activation with increasing age. Voxel p < .001, cluster p < .05(FWE-corrected).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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