Neuroplasticity and cognitive aging: The scaffolding theory of aging and cognition
Open accessAbstract
A recent proposal called the Scaffolding Theory of Cognitive Aging (STAC) postulates that functional changes with aging are part of a lifespan process of compensatory cognitive scaffolding that is an attempt to alleviate the cognitive declines associated with aging. Indeed, behavioral studies have shown that aging is associated with both decline as well as preservation of selective cognitive abilities. Similarly, neuroimaging studies have revealed selective changes in the aging brain that reflect neural decline as well as compensatory neural recruitment. While aging is associated with reductions in cortical thickness, white-matter integrity, dopaminergic activity, and functional engagement in posterior brain regions such as the hippocampus and occipital areas, there are compensatory increases in frontal functional engagement that correlate with better behavioral performance in older adults. In this review, we discuss these age-related behavioral and brain findings that support the STAC model of cognitive scaffolding and additionally integrate the findings on neuroplasticity as a compensatory response in the aging brain. As such, we also examine the impact of external experiences in facilitating neuroplasticity in older adults. Finally, having laid the foundation for STAC, we briefly describe a proposed intervention trial (The Synapse Program) designed to evaluate the behavioral and neural impact of engagement in lifestyle activities that facilitates successful cognitive scaffolding using a controlled experiment where older adult participants are randomly assigned to different conditions of engagement.
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Neuroplastic scaffolding refers to compensatory neural activity aimed at supporting damaged, inefficient, or poorly functioning cognitive functions.
“It refers to compensatory neural activity aimed at supporting damaged, inefficient, or poorly functioning cognitive functions.”
The maternal interview questionnaire has been used extensively in prevalence studies in South Africa to identify whether children were exposed to alcohol during pregnancy.
“The interview questionnaire has been used extensively in prevalence studies in South Africa to identify whether children were exposed to alcohol during pregnancy [3,31-33].”
Scaffolding happens through recruitment of additional prefrontal cortex activity, neurogenesis, and distributing cognitive processing over various brain structures.
“Scaffolding happens through recruitment of additional prefrontal cortex activity, neurogenesis (formation of new neuronal connections), and distributing cognitive processing over various brain structures.”
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References 101 · Cited by 253
Research works printed but not linked: 12
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- Authors
- Goh, J. O., & Park, D. C.
- Affiliations
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
- The University of Texas at Dallas (US)
- Corresponding author
- Goh, Joshua O.
- Venue
- Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2009-10
- Volume
- 27
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 391-403
- ISSN
- 0922-6028 (ISSN-L)
- 1878-3627
- PMC
- PMC3355626
- OpenAlex
- W1518874996
- Cited by
- 253
- References
- 101
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 25 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 16
- FWCI
- 13.61
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Aging (R01AG026589, R37AG006265)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Functions and Memory
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Keywords
- cognitive aging, neuroplasticity, compensatory neural recruitment, cortical thickness, white matter integrity, dopaminergic activity, hippocampus, lifestyle intervention, older adults
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aging, Animals, Brain, Cognition, Humans, Models, Neurological, Neuronal Plasticity, Synapses
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