Age-Related Changes in the Plasticity of Neural Regions That Control the Functional Field of View
Scalf, Paige Elizabeth
This item is only available for download by members of the University of Illinois community. Students, faculty, and staff at the U of I may log in with your NetID and password to view the item. If you are trying to access an Illinois-restricted dissertation or thesis, you can request a copy through your library's Inter-Library Loan office or purchase a copy directly from ProQuest.
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/82076
Description
Title
Age-Related Changes in the Plasticity of Neural Regions That Control the Functional Field of View
Author(s)
Scalf, Paige Elizabeth
Issue Date
2004
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Kramer, Arthur F.
Department of Study
Psychology
Discipline
Psychology
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Psychology, Cognitive
Language
eng
Abstract
Our research was primarily interested in determining the locus of neural plasticity that allows training in the FFOV task to improve attentional function in older and younger adults. In chapter one, we discussed the neural systems that control the FFOV. We found that the same dual task conditions that produce a reduced FFOV also produce relatively weak representations of task relevant information. Reductions in the FFOV driven by increased cognitive demand, then, clearly reflect limitations in the ability to represent task relevant items. These effects are particularly pronounced for more eccentrically located stimuli. These data indicate that the reduction of the FFOV that occurs under conditions of high attentional demand reflect the greater attentional capacity required to process more eccentrically located information. In chapter two, we discussed age-related changes in the neural structures that respond to the increases in task demand that causes decreases in the FFOV. Older adults do not show weakened representation of task relevant information under dual task conditions. Instead, dual task conditions elicited activation increases in bilateral middle frontal gyrus, bilateral precentral gyrus and right inferior parietal lobule only in older adults. We interpret these data as evidence that older adults employ different neurocognitive strategies to respond to changes in task demand than do young adults. In chapter three, we discussed how training in a behavioral version of the FFOV task alters neural activation to increase the FFOV. We found that training in the FFOV task causes fundamentally different patterns of change in the neural activity in young and old adults. Although training in young adults tended to decrease activation in ventral occipital and frontal areas, training in older adults tended to increase activation in these regions. We interpret these data as suggesting that training improves the efficiency of this network in younger adults, but improves the instantiation of this network in older adults. Training specifically affected activation in the caudate nuclei of older adults during dual task conditions, suggesting age-related changes in the role played by this structure in the coordintation and control of the performance of multiple tasks.
Use this login method if you
don't
have an
@illinois.edu
email address.
(Oops, I do have one)
IDEALS migrated to a new platform on June 23, 2022. If you created
your account prior to this date, you will have to reset your password
using the forgot-password link below.
