Anderson Nicole D, Craik Fergus I M
Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Department of Psychiatry and.
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2017 Jan;72(1):1-6. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbw108.
The objectives of this Introduction to the Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences special issue on "50 Years of Cognitive Aging Theory" are to provide a brief overview of cognitive aging research prior to 1965 and to highlight significant developments in cognitive aging theory over the last 50 years.
Historical and recent theories of cognitive aging were reviewed, with a particular focus on those not directly covered by the articles included in this special issue.
Prior to 1965, cognitive aging research was predominantly descriptive, identifying what aspects of intellectual functioning are affected in older compared with younger adults. Since the mid-1960s, there has been an increasing interest in how and why specific components of cognitive domains are differentially affected in aging and a growing focus on cognitive aging neuroscience.
Significant advances have taken place in our theoretical understanding of how and why certain components of cognitive functioning are or are not affected by aging. We also know much more now than we did 50 years ago about the underlying neural mechanisms of these changes. The next 50 years undoubtedly will bring new theories, as well as new tools (e.g., neuroimaging advances, neuromodulation, and technology), that will further our understanding of cognitive aging.
《老年学杂志：心理科学》关于“认知老化理论五十年”这一特刊的目标是简要概述1965年之前的认知老化研究，并突出过去五十年来认知老化理论的重大发展。
回顾了认知老化的历史理论和近期理论，特别关注本特刊文章未直接涵盖的那些理论。
1965年之前，认知老化研究主要是描述性的，确定与年轻人相比，老年人智力功能的哪些方面受到影响。自20世纪60年代中期以来，人们越来越关注认知领域的特定组成部分在衰老过程中如何以及为何受到不同影响，并且越来越关注认知老化神经科学。
在我们对认知功能的某些组成部分如何以及为何受到或不受衰老影响的理论理解方面已经取得了重大进展。与50年前相比，我们现在对这些变化的潜在神经机制也了解得更多。毫无疑问，未来五十年将带来新的理论以及新的工具（例如神经成像进展、神经调节和技术），这将进一步加深我们对认知老化的理解。
