Figure 1. Model of Cognition and Aging.
Figure 1 diagrams a model of age-related changes in cognition based on the model of Cowan5,6 and includes patterns of brain activation as measured by fMRI. Dotted and grayed lines indicate impairments. When younger adults (left panel) perform attention and memory tests they show brain activation patterns that are balanced between occipital and frontal regions or even have a shift towards greater posterior activation. Normal cognitive aging (middle panel) may degrade the control processes of the focus of attention (FOA) thereby affecting working memory and long-term memory. The functional activation patterns show increased in frontal activation relative to posterior regions. Lifestyle modifications may be effective in slowing or reversing some of the aspects of cognitive aging. Cognitive dysfunction seen in pathological cognitive aging may affect all aspects of cognition. The activation patterns will show decreases in frontal and occipital regions.