Age-related increased frontal activation in sentence comprehension reflects inefficiency, not compensation.
Gespeichert in:
| Titel: | Age-related increased frontal activation in sentence comprehension reflects inefficiency, not compensation. |
|---|---|
| Autoren: | Perron M; Department of Psychology, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: maxime.perron@torontomu.ca., Shatzer H; Department of Psychology, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada., Zara M; Department of Psychology, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada., Russo F; Department of Psychology, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Speech Language Pathology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. |
| Quelle: | Neurobiology of aging [Neurobiol Aging] 2025 Nov; Vol. 155, pp. 100-112. Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 Jul 24. |
| Publikationsart: | Journal Article |
| Sprache: | English |
| Info zur Zeitschrift: | Publisher: Elsevier Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 8100437 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1558-1497 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 01974580 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Neurobiol Aging Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Publication: New York : Elsevier Original Publication: Fayetteville, N.Y. : Ankho International. |
| MeSH-Schlagworte: | Comprehension*/physiology , Speech Perception*/physiology , Prefrontal Cortex*/physiology , Prefrontal Cortex*/diagnostic imaging , Aging*/physiology , Aging*/psychology , Cognitive Aging*/physiology , Cognitive Aging*/psychology, Humans ; Aged ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; Noise/adverse effects ; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared ; Cognition/physiology ; Aged, 80 and over ; Signal-To-Noise Ratio |
| Abstract: | Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have declared no conflict of interest. Cognitive aging is associated with increased prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity, often interpreted as either a compensatory mechanism or a sign of neural inefficiency. In the context of speech-in-noise perception, it remains unclear whether this increase supports or impairs performance, as findings across studies are mixed. This study investigated age-related differences in PFC activity during sentence comprehension in noise using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Fifty-seven participants (22 younger adults, 35 older adults) listened to sentences ending in either a high- or low-predictability word under two signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) conditions. Older adults showed increased PFC activity as SNR decreased, whereas younger adults showed no significant modulation. Among older adults, lower performers exhibited the greatest right-lateralized PFC activity, suggesting the recruitment of suboptimal neural resources. At the trial level, incorrect responses were associated with greater bilateral PFC activity in both age groups. Mediation analyses revealed that the negative effect of age on performance was partially explained by increased bilateral PFC activity, indicating that overactivation contributes to age-related speech-in-noise difficulties. Hearing loss and cognitive ability did not predict overall PFC activity but moderated the effect of SNR on PFC activity. Specifically, older adults with better hearing or higher cognitive scores showed increased PFC activity in the difficult SNR condition compared to the easier one, whereas those with more hearing loss or lower cognition showed similar activity across conditions. No effects of sentence predictability were observed. These findings support a neural inefficiency framework and highlight the importance of addressing PFC overactivation to improve speech-in-noise communication in older adults. (Copyright © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.) |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Aging; Compensation; Functional near-infrared spectroscopy; Neural inefficiency; Prefrontal cortex; Speech perception |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20250801 Date Completed: 20250908 Latest Revision: 20250908 |
| Update Code: | 20250909 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2025.07.014 |
| PMID: | 40749564 |
| Datenbank: | MEDLINE |
Full Text Finder 
Nájsť tento článok vo Web of Science | Abstract: | Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have declared no conflict of interest.<br />Cognitive aging is associated with increased prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity, often interpreted as either a compensatory mechanism or a sign of neural inefficiency. In the context of speech-in-noise perception, it remains unclear whether this increase supports or impairs performance, as findings across studies are mixed. This study investigated age-related differences in PFC activity during sentence comprehension in noise using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Fifty-seven participants (22 younger adults, 35 older adults) listened to sentences ending in either a high- or low-predictability word under two signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) conditions. Older adults showed increased PFC activity as SNR decreased, whereas younger adults showed no significant modulation. Among older adults, lower performers exhibited the greatest right-lateralized PFC activity, suggesting the recruitment of suboptimal neural resources. At the trial level, incorrect responses were associated with greater bilateral PFC activity in both age groups. Mediation analyses revealed that the negative effect of age on performance was partially explained by increased bilateral PFC activity, indicating that overactivation contributes to age-related speech-in-noise difficulties. Hearing loss and cognitive ability did not predict overall PFC activity but moderated the effect of SNR on PFC activity. Specifically, older adults with better hearing or higher cognitive scores showed increased PFC activity in the difficult SNR condition compared to the easier one, whereas those with more hearing loss or lower cognition showed similar activity across conditions. No effects of sentence predictability were observed. These findings support a neural inefficiency framework and highlight the importance of addressing PFC overactivation to improve speech-in-noise communication in older adults.<br /> (Copyright © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.) |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1558-1497 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2025.07.014 |