Functional plasticity in cognitive aging: Review and hypothesis.
Abstract
Cognitive aging reflects not only loss but also adaptation to loss. The adult brain is capable of plastic change, including change in cortical representation. This has been seen in association not only with frank lesions but also in healthy individuals as a function of experience and training. This review considers the potential for adult plasticity together with evidence of a relation in old age between regional cortical atrophy/shrinkage and increased activation in neuroimaging. Those cortical regions shown most consistently to shrink in adulthood--prefrontal and parietal cortices--are the same regions showing increased regional activation in aging. Combining several strands of behavioral and neuroimaging evidence, the author argues that functional plasticity alters the course of cognitive aging. The author advances the hypothesis that losses in regional brain integrity drive functional reorganization through changes in processing strategy and makes specific predictions from that hypothesis.
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Aging brains can produce new neurons, synaptic connections, and blood vessels.
“old brains can grow new neurons, synaptic connections, and new vasculature.”
From Enrichment Effects on Adult Cognitive Development: Can the Functional Capacity of Older Adults Be Preserved and Enhanced? (2008) · cites this paper as Greenwood, 2007
Neural plasticity declines with age but is greater than previously thought.
“Although such neural plasticity is reduced in old age, it remains more substantial than previously recognized”
From Enrichment Effects on Adult Cognitive Development: Can the Functional Capacity of Older Adults Be Preserved and Enhanced? (2008) · cites this paper as Greenwood, 2007
Heterogeneity in lifespan curves results from differences in biological maturation and aging of the underlying neural substrates.
“While heterogeneity in lifespan curves results from differences in biological maturation and aging of the underlying neural substrates (Greenwood, 2007; Paus, 2005), this cannot easily account for tasks that show continued improvement past early adulthood.”
From When does cognitive functioning peak? The asynchronous rise and fall of different cognitive abilities across the life span (2015) · cites this paper as Greenwood, 2007
The degree to which different tasks allow for compensatory strategies is an important factor determining when performance begins to decline due to aging.
“Another important factor determining when performance begins to decline due to aging is the degree to which different tasks allow for compensatory strategies (Greenwood, 2007).”
From When does cognitive functioning peak? The asynchronous rise and fall of different cognitive abilities across the life span (2015) · cites this paper as Greenwood, 2007
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References 188 · Cited by 304
- Authors
- Greenwood, P. M.
- Affiliations
- George Mason University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Greenwood, P. M.
- ORCID
- Greenwood, P. M.
- Venue
- Neuropsychology
- Published
- 2007
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 657-673
- ISSN
- 0894-4105 (ISSN-L)
- 1931-1559
- OpenAlex
- W1980575105
- Cited by
- 304
- References
- 188
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 22 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 24 · 2013: 19 · 2012: 22
- FWCI
- 24.92
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Neuropsychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Functions and Memory
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Keywords
- cognitive aging, functional plasticity, cortical atrophy, compensatory brain activation, prefrontal cortex, parietal cortex, functional reorganization, processing strategies, brain integrity, neuroplasticity
- MeSH terms
- Aging, Brain, Cognition, Humans, Neuronal Plasticity
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