ERIC Number: EJ966857
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-May
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0093-934X
EISSN: N/A
Neurofunctional (Re)Organization Underlying Narrative Discourse Processing in Aging: Evidence from fNIRS
Scherer, Lilian Cristine; Fonseca, Rochele Paz; Giroux, Francine; Senhadji, Noureddine; Marcotte, Karine; Tomitch, Leda Maria Braga; Benali, Habib; Lesage, Frederic; Ska, Bernadette; Joanette, Yves
Brain and Language, v121 n2 p174-184 May 2012
Relatively few studies have analyzed the mechanisms underlying the cognitive changes that affect language in the elderly, and fewer have done so for narrative discourse. The goal of this study was to explore the neurofunctional changes associated with aging for different components of narrative discourse. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and behavioral data on 10 younger adults and 10 healthy elderly participants were collected. Ten younger adults in a non-proficient second language condition were included to explore the possibility that the age-related neurofunctional reorganization partly expresses demanding resource allocation. Results show within- and across-hemispheric differences in the neurofunctional pattern of activation in the older participants with reference to the younger ones, partially shared with the low-proficiency young adults, providing support for the recognized mechanisms underlying neural reserve and compensation. fNIRS was shown to be appropriate for studying the age-related neurofunctional reorganization of complex cognitive abilities. (Contains 4 tables and 5 figures.)
Descriptors: Evidence, Young Adults, Older Adults, Narration, Cognitive Ability, Age Differences, Language Processing, Aging (Individuals), Correlation, Spectroscopy, Brain Hemisphere Functions
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A