Validating Age-Related Functional Imaging Changes in Verbal Working Memory with Acute Stroke

Functional imaging studies consistently find that older adults recruit bilateral brain regions in cognitive tasks that are strongly lateralized in younger adults, a characterization known as the Hemispheric Asymmetry Reduction in Older Adults model. While functional imaging displays what brain areas...

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Main Authors: Timothy B. Meier, Lin Naing, Lisa E. Thomas, Veena A. Nair, Argye E. Hillis, Vivek Prabhakaran
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2011-01-01
Series:Behavioural Neurology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/BEN-2011-0331
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author Timothy B. Meier
Lin Naing
Lisa E. Thomas
Veena A. Nair
Argye E. Hillis
Vivek Prabhakaran
author_facet Timothy B. Meier
Lin Naing
Lisa E. Thomas
Veena A. Nair
Argye E. Hillis
Vivek Prabhakaran
author_sort Timothy B. Meier
collection DOAJ
description Functional imaging studies consistently find that older adults recruit bilateral brain regions in cognitive tasks that are strongly lateralized in younger adults, a characterization known as the Hemispheric Asymmetry Reduction in Older Adults model. While functional imaging displays what brain areas are active during tasks, it cannot demonstrate what brain regions are necessary for task performance. We used behavioral data from acute stroke patients to test the hypothesis that older adults need both hemispheres for a verbal working memory task that is predominantly left-lateralized in younger adults. Right-handed younger (age ≥ 50, n = 7) and older adults (age > 50, n = 21) with acute unilateral stroke, as well as younger (n = 6) and older (n = 13) transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients, performed a self-paced verbal item-recognition task. Older patients with stroke to either hemisphere had a higher frequency of deficits in the verbal working memory task compared to older TIA patients. Additionally, the deficits in older stroke patients were mainly in retrieval time while the deficits in younger stroke patients were mainly in accuracy. These data suggest that bihemispheric activity is necessary for older adults to successfully perform a verbal working memory task.
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spelling doaj-art-573f7954ca1446099a565379ff8e5df62025-08-20T02:05:59ZengWileyBehavioural Neurology0953-41801875-85842011-01-0124318719910.3233/BEN-2011-0331Validating Age-Related Functional Imaging Changes in Verbal Working Memory with Acute StrokeTimothy B. Meier0Lin Naing1Lisa E. Thomas2Veena A. Nair3Argye E. Hillis4Vivek Prabhakaran5Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USASchool of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USAEmergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital, MA, USADepartment of Radiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USADepartment of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MA, USANeuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USAFunctional imaging studies consistently find that older adults recruit bilateral brain regions in cognitive tasks that are strongly lateralized in younger adults, a characterization known as the Hemispheric Asymmetry Reduction in Older Adults model. While functional imaging displays what brain areas are active during tasks, it cannot demonstrate what brain regions are necessary for task performance. We used behavioral data from acute stroke patients to test the hypothesis that older adults need both hemispheres for a verbal working memory task that is predominantly left-lateralized in younger adults. Right-handed younger (age ≥ 50, n = 7) and older adults (age > 50, n = 21) with acute unilateral stroke, as well as younger (n = 6) and older (n = 13) transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients, performed a self-paced verbal item-recognition task. Older patients with stroke to either hemisphere had a higher frequency of deficits in the verbal working memory task compared to older TIA patients. Additionally, the deficits in older stroke patients were mainly in retrieval time while the deficits in younger stroke patients were mainly in accuracy. These data suggest that bihemispheric activity is necessary for older adults to successfully perform a verbal working memory task.http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/BEN-2011-0331
spellingShingle Timothy B. Meier
Lin Naing
Lisa E. Thomas
Veena A. Nair
Argye E. Hillis
Vivek Prabhakaran
Validating Age-Related Functional Imaging Changes in Verbal Working Memory with Acute Stroke
Behavioural Neurology
title Validating Age-Related Functional Imaging Changes in Verbal Working Memory with Acute Stroke
title_full Validating Age-Related Functional Imaging Changes in Verbal Working Memory with Acute Stroke
title_fullStr Validating Age-Related Functional Imaging Changes in Verbal Working Memory with Acute Stroke
title_full_unstemmed Validating Age-Related Functional Imaging Changes in Verbal Working Memory with Acute Stroke
title_short Validating Age-Related Functional Imaging Changes in Verbal Working Memory with Acute Stroke
title_sort validating age related functional imaging changes in verbal working memory with acute stroke
url http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/BEN-2011-0331
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