Differential effects of age on subcomponents of response inhibition
Abstract
Inhibitory deficits contribute to cognitive decline in the aging brain. Separating subcomponents of response inhibition may help to resolve contradictions in the existing literature. A total of 49 healthy participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while performing a Go/no-go-, a Simon-, and a Stop-signal task. Regression analyses were conducted to identify correlations of age and activation patterns. Imaging results revealed a differential effect of age on subcomponents of response inhibition. In a simple Go/no-go task (no spatial discrimination), aging was associated with increased activation of the core inhibitory network and parietal areas. In the Simon task, which required spatial discrimination, increased activation in additional inhibitory control regions was present. However, in the Stop-signal task, the most demanding of the three tasks, aging was associated with decreased activation. This suggests that older adults increasingly recruit the inhibitory network and, with increasing load, additional inhibitory regions. However, if inhibitory load exceeds compensatory capacity, performance declines in concert with decreasing activation. Thus, the present findings may refine current theories of cognitive aging.
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Interference control, action restraint, and action cancelation represent early, intermediate, and late processes of response inhibition, respectively.
“It has been suggested that interference control, action restraint, and action cancelation represent early, intermediate, and late processes of response inhibition, respectively (Sebastian et al., 2013a).”
From Response Inhibition and Interference Control in Obsessive–Compulsive Spectrum Disorders (2014) · cites this paper as Sebastian et al., 2013a
This shift in compensatory abilities does not have to be specific for the discussed disorders but may also apply to others, such as Parkinson's disease or even natural aging.
“This shift in compensatory abilities does not have to be specific for the discussed disorders but may also apply to others, such Parkinson’s disease (Vriend et al., under review) or even natural aging (Sebastian et al., 2013a).”
From Response Inhibition and Interference Control in Obsessive–Compulsive Spectrum Disorders (2014) · cites this paper as Sebastian et al., 2013a
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“These three tasks may well reflect subcomponents of response inhibition (Barkley, 1997; Eagle et al., 2008; Nigg, 2000; Schachar et al., 2007; Sebastian et al., 2013), that is interference inhibition, withholding of prepotent actions (action withholding), and stoppingof already initiatedactions…”
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Large-scale functional neural network correlates of response inhibition: an fMRI meta-analysis
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Heckner, M. K., Cieslik, E. C., Eickhoff, S. B., Camilleri, J. A., Hoffstaedter, F., & Langner, R. (2020) · doi:10.1101/2020.07.15.204941
- Authors
- Sebastian, A., Baldermann, C., Feige, B., Katzev, M., Scheller, E., Hellwig, B., Lieb, K., Weiller, C., Tüscher, O., & Klöppel, S.
- Affiliations
- University of Freiburg (DE)
- Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Baldermann, C.
- Venue
- Neurobiology of Aging
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2013-09
- Volume
- 34
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 2183-2193
- ISSN
- 0197-4580 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2035179816
- Cited by
- 127
- References
- 10
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 4.91
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Neurobiology of Aging (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (01GW0730)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Functions and Memory
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism
- Keywords
- response inhibition, aging, cognitive aging, inhibitory control, go/no-go task, Simon task, stop-signal task, inhibitory networks, parietal activation, compensatory recruitment, cognitive decline
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Aging, Brain, Cognition Disorders, Humans, Inhibition, Psychological, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Neuropsychological Tests, Reaction Time, Young Adult
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