Faster aging of executive function:Evidence from a paired-task comparison

This study is conducted to verify the hypothesis stating the executive function of a human brain loses its efficiency relatively faster than other cognitive functions in accordance with the body age. In this analysis, 736 healthy participants between age 16 to 69 were recruited and three paired tasks were performed depending the subjects' independency level of their executive functions. The three paired tasks were Stroop Interference Trial vs. Stroop Simple Trial, Verbal Fluency vs. Information, and Design Fluency vs. Picture Completion. The data for each paired task were subject to analysis of covariance in which “age” was the independent variable and “years of education” and “gender” were two covariants. The result shows that there is a statistically significant relationship between the paired tasks and the age of participants. In this interaction, the decreasing rate of participant age-considered performance is greater in the tasks demanding a higher level of executive function. Thus, the age-related performance decline was faster in Stroop Interference Trial relative to Stroop Simple Trial, Verbal Fluency relative to Information, and Design Fluency relative to Picture Completion. In terms of erroneous responses, it showed age-related increases in errors on Stroop Interference Trial and perseverative responses in Verbal and Design Fluency. These results are consistent with the executive decline hypothesis of cognitive aging. The previous studies have provided the evidence that the executive function matures more slowly than nonexecutive cognitive functions. Considering this evidence, this study results lead to a conclusion that the cognitive functions that mature slowly are also age faster, or more succinctly expressed, it is a “Last in, first out”.

keywords: executive function, aging, frontal lobe, paired-task, 관리기능, 노화, 전두엽, 짝과제

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Article Contents

Vol.34 No.2

Faster aging of executive function:Evidence from a paired-task comparison

Abstract

Reference

Korean Journal of Psychology: General