Ferdinand Nicola K, Czernochowski Daniela
Department of Psychology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany.
Center for Cognitive Science, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Front Psychol. 2018 Jun 26;9:1018. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01018. eCollection 2018.
Cognitive control refers to the ability to regulate cognitive processing according to the tasks at hand, especially when these are demanding. It includes maintaining and updating relevant information in working memory, inhibiting irrelevant information, and flexibly switching between tasks. Performance monitoring denotes the processing of feedback from the environment and the detection of errors or other unexpected events and signals when cognitive control needs to be exerted. These two aspects of behavioral adaptation critically rely on the integrity of the frontal lobes, which are known to show pronounced age-related performance decrements. By contrast, there is evidence that processing of rewards remains relatively intact across the adult lifespan. Hence, motivation may play an important role in modulating or even counteracting age-related changes in cognitive control functions. To answer this question, neuroscientific data can be particularly useful to uncover potential underlying mechanisms beyond behavioral outcome. The aims of this article are twofold: First, to review and systematize the extant literature on how motivational incentives can modulate performance monitoring and cognitive control in young and older adults. Second, to demonstrate that important pieces of empirical data are currently missing for the evaluation of this central question, specifically in old age. Hence, we would like to stimulate further research uncovering potential mechanisms underlying motivation-cognition interactions in young and in particular in older adults and investigating whether or not those can help to ameliorate age-related impairments.
认知控制是指根据手头任务来调节认知加工的能力，尤其是在任务要求较高时。它包括在工作记忆中维持和更新相关信息、抑制无关信息，以及在任务之间灵活切换。绩效监测指的是处理来自环境的反馈，以及在需要施加认知控制时检测错误或其他意外事件及信号。行为适应的这两个方面严重依赖额叶的完整性，而额叶已知会出现明显的与年龄相关的功能衰退。相比之下，有证据表明奖励处理在整个成年期相对保持完好。因此，动机可能在调节甚至抵消认知控制功能的与年龄相关的变化中发挥重要作用。为了回答这个问题，神经科学数据对于揭示行为结果背后的潜在机制可能特别有用。本文的目的有两个：第一，回顾并系统化关于动机激励如何调节年轻人和老年人的绩效监测和认知控制的现有文献。第二，证明目前在评估这个核心问题时缺少重要的实证数据，特别是在老年群体中。因此，我们希望激发进一步的研究，以揭示年轻人尤其是老年人中动机 - 认知相互作用的潜在机制，并研究这些机制是否有助于改善与年龄相关的损伤。
