Executive function abilities in cognitively healthy young and older adults—A cross-sectional study

Idowu, Mojitola I.; Szameitat, Andre J. · 2023 · DOAJ

DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.976915

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Summary

This cross-sectional study investigates age-related declines in four core executive functions (EFs): inhibition, shifting, updating, and dual-tasking. Motivated by inconsistent findings in prior literature regarding whether these EFs decline uniformly or at different rates, the research aims to quantify and compare the magnitude of cognitive decline across these domains in cognitively healthy young and older adults. The study addresses the broader question of how aging affects high-level cognitive processes, which are critical for goal-directed behavior and daily functioning. The study involved 26 young adults (mean age 21.18 years) and 25 older adults (mean age 71.56 years). Each EF was assessed using a pair of tasks to ensure robust measurement. Dual-tasking was measured using the Psychological Refractory Period (PRP) paradigm and a modified Test for Everyday Attention (TEA). Inhibition was assessed via the Stroop task and the Hayling Sentence Completion Test (HSCT). Shifting was evaluated using a task-switching paradigm and the Trail Making Test (TMT). Updating was measured with the Backward Digit Span (BDS) and an n-back paradigm. Participants completed screening assessments to ensure cognitive health, including the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Mini-Mental State Examination. The experimental design utilized a mixed approach, comparing between-subject age groups and within-subject EF domains, calculating "cost" measures (e.g., interference scores, shift costs) to isolate EF demands. Results indicated that age-related decline was present in all four executive functions, though the specific metrics showing significant differences varied by task. Older adults performed significantly worse than younger adults in the response times of the PRP effect, the interference scores of the Stroop task, the response time inhibition costs of the HSCT, the response time and error-rate shifting costs of the task-switching paradigm, and the error-rate updating costs of the n-back paradigm. Crucially, the study found statistically significant differences in the rates of decline among the four EFs. Inhibition exhibited the greatest decline, followed by shifting, updating, and finally dual-tasking, which showed the smallest decline. The findings suggest that executive functions do not decline uniformly with age; rather, they deteriorate at distinct rates. This heterogeneity implies that cognitive aging is a complex process affecting different cognitive subsystems differently. The conclusion that inhibition is the most vulnerable EF supports theories emphasizing reduced attentional control and increased susceptibility to interference in older adults. These results have implications for clinical diagnosis and the development of targeted cognitive training regimes, suggesting that interventions should account for the varying resilience of different executive functions in the aging population.

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Topics

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• executive function
• cognitive aging