Abstract

Prior studies have found that compared to younger peers, older adults become happier and regulate emotions better as they age. However, research has also demonstrated that successful emotion regulation relies on well-functioning neural networks including the cognitive control network (CCN) and default mode network (DMN), which include brain structures that tend to deteriorate in the aging process. This dichotomy of improved stress management and emotion control in conjunction with deterioration in relevant neural networks and structures is interesting and worthy of further discussion and study.

Highlights

  • Conventional wisdom has intimated that as people age, they become wise in their ability to manage emotional reactions to stress given the ability to call upon vast prior life experience

  • The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) is involved in detection and monitoring of affective and nonaffective stimuli and the ventral/rostral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) primarily works in concert with the posterior parietal and dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) regions of the cognitive control network (CCN) to regulate affective responses, when affectively-laden stimuli conflict with goal-directed behavior [42]

  • There has been recent research with results suggesting that regions of the CCN and default mode network (DMN) tend to change in the aging process and impact emotion regulation

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Summary

Introduction

Conventional wisdom has intimated that as people age, they become wise in their ability to manage emotional reactions to stress given the ability to call upon vast prior life experience. This is in contrast to the age-related declines older adults tend to experience in their cognitive functioning [6] as well as emotional functioning, given the high rates of affective illness such as late-life major depressive disorder (MDD) in older individuals [7].

Results
Conclusion

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