Rempe Maggie P, Manta Danae S, Cohen Kayle, Glesinger Ryan J, Okelberry Hannah J, John Jason A, Coutant Anna T, Horne Lucy K, Garrison Grant M, Kress Kennedy A, Weyrich Lucas, Casagrande Chloe C, Willett Madelyn P, Johnson Hallie J, Wiesman Alex I, Heinrichs-Graham Elizabeth, Spooner Rachel K, Embury Christine M, Wilson Tony W
Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA.
College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE, USA.
Geroscience. 2025 Apr 9. doi: 10.1007/s11357-025-01651-4.
Neuroimaging studies have shown age-related alterations in brain structure and function supporting semantic knowledge, although the significance of these is not fully understood. Herein, we report novel temporal, spectral, and spatial information on age-related changes from the largest dynamic functional mapping study of semantic processing. Participants (N = 130, age range 21-87 years, M = 51.05, SD = 14.73, 68 females) performed a semantic judgement task during magnetoencephalography (MEG), and significant task-related oscillatory responses were projected into anatomical space using a beamformer. Voxel-wise linear mixed-effects models were performed to assess semantic-related neural oscillations, irrespective of and influenced by age. Mediation analyses were performed to assess if local oscillations mediated the relationship between age and reaction time. Whole-brain analyses revealed stronger left-lateralized alpha/beta oscillations in frontotemporal cortices during semantic trials and stronger right-lateralized alpha/beta responses in temporoparietal regions during length trials (all ps <.001). Older adults showed stronger left temporoparietal alpha and left frontal beta during semantic processing and stronger alpha in the right temporal cortex during the length condition (all ps <.001). Alpha oscillations further mediated the relationship between age and reaction time in a hemisphere- and condition-specific manner, whereby right temporal activity mediated the age-behavior relationship in the length but not semantic condition (Z = 2.01, p =.022), while left temporoparietal activity significantly mediated this relationship in the semantic but not length condition (Z = - 2.41, p =.008). Altogether, our findings demonstrate accentuated oscillations in aging which are hemisphere- and condition-specific and support compensatory processing to aid in maintaining adequate behavioral performance, lending clear support to leading neuroscientific models of aging.
神经影像学研究显示，支持语义知识的大脑结构和功能存在与年龄相关的变化，尽管这些变化的意义尚未完全明了。在此，我们报告了来自最大规模语义加工动态功能映射研究的、有关与年龄相关变化的全新时间、频谱和空间信息。参与者（N = 130，年龄范围21 - 87岁，M = 51.05，SD = 14.73，68名女性）在脑磁图（MEG）检查期间执行语义判断任务，并使用波束形成器将显著的任务相关振荡反应投射到解剖学空间。进行体素水平的线性混合效应模型以评估与语义相关的神经振荡，无论其是否受年龄影响。进行中介分析以评估局部振荡是否介导了年龄与反应时间之间的关系。全脑分析显示，在语义试验期间额颞叶皮质有更强的左侧化α/β振荡，而在长度试验期间颞顶叶区域有更强的右侧化α/β反应（所有p值均<.001）。老年人在语义加工期间左侧颞顶叶α波更强，左侧额叶β波更强，在长度条件下右侧颞叶皮质α波更强（所有p值<.001）。α振荡以半球和条件特异性的方式进一步介导了年龄与反应时间之间的关系，其中右侧颞叶活动在长度而非语义条件下介导了年龄与行为的关系（Z = 2.01，p =.022），而左侧颞顶叶活动在语义而非长度条件下显著介导了这种关系（Z = - 2.41，p =.
