P1‐167: Neural basis for cognitive control enhancement in elderly people

Abstract

Cognitive function is an important aspect of the individual's functional independence and quality of life especially in the aging population. Cognitive control is a core function for daily adaptation but also an area most vulnerable to aging. This study was intended to develop a training program for older adults to enhance the cognitive control function, and to examine its effects comprehensively. Twenty seven community-dwelling adults aged 60 and older without diagnosis of significant cognitive impairment participated in this study (training group n = 14; the control group n = 13). A training program targeting cognitive control was developed, which was offered only to the training group. Duration of training was 1 hour per day, 3 days per week, for 8 weeks. We examined the training-related changes in cognitive function and cortical activity with Multisource Interference Task which required cognitive control yet was different from the main training program. More specifically, we compared the regional brain activation utilizing the functional MRI, before and after training. A comprehensive neuropsychological assessment was also completed pre- and post-training. Trained older adults showed overall enhancement in cognitive functions compared with those who were not trained, particularly in the cognitive control measures. In addition, the training effect was also significant in the recognition tasks of working memory and episodic memory tasks, where interference resolution capabilities were required. In addition, general intellectual functioning, as measured with the Korean version of the DRS2, also improved after cognitive control training. The cognitive control trained group showed increased cortical activation in areas of the right fronto-parietal control network, whereas no significant activation change was found between the pre scan and post scan in the control group. Furthermore, cognitive enhancement was significantly correlated to brain activity change in these over-recruited areas in the trained group. We demonstrated the effect of cognitive control training and its neural correlates with functional MRI. The results of this study suggest a compensatory neural process that involves the fronto-parietal control network.