Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience (Mar 2018)
Functional Hemispheric (A)symmetries in the Aged Brain—Relevance for Working Memory
- Madalena Esteves,
- Madalena Esteves,
- Madalena Esteves,
- Ricardo Magalhães,
- Ricardo Magalhães,
- Ricardo Magalhães,
- Paulo Marques,
- Paulo Marques,
- Paulo Marques,
- Teresa C. Castanho,
- Teresa C. Castanho,
- Teresa C. Castanho,
- Carlos Portugal-Nunes,
- Carlos Portugal-Nunes,
- Carlos Portugal-Nunes,
- José M. Soares,
- José M. Soares,
- José M. Soares,
- Armando Almeida,
- Armando Almeida,
- Armando Almeida,
- Nadine C. Santos,
- Nadine C. Santos,
- Nadine C. Santos,
- Nuno Sousa,
- Nuno Sousa,
- Nuno Sousa,
- Hugo Leite-Almeida,
- Hugo Leite-Almeida,
- Hugo Leite-Almeida
Affiliations
- Madalena Esteves
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Madalena Esteves
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Portugal
- Madalena Esteves
- Clinical Academic Center — Braga, Braga, Portugal
- Ricardo Magalhães
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Ricardo Magalhães
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Portugal
- Ricardo Magalhães
- Clinical Academic Center — Braga, Braga, Portugal
- Paulo Marques
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Paulo Marques
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Portugal
- Paulo Marques
- Clinical Academic Center — Braga, Braga, Portugal
- Teresa C. Castanho
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Teresa C. Castanho
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Portugal
- Teresa C. Castanho
- Clinical Academic Center — Braga, Braga, Portugal
- Carlos Portugal-Nunes
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Carlos Portugal-Nunes
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Portugal
- Carlos Portugal-Nunes
- Clinical Academic Center — Braga, Braga, Portugal
- José M. Soares
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- José M. Soares
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Portugal
- José M. Soares
- Clinical Academic Center — Braga, Braga, Portugal
- Armando Almeida
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Armando Almeida
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Portugal
- Armando Almeida
- Clinical Academic Center — Braga, Braga, Portugal
- Nadine C. Santos
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Nadine C. Santos
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Portugal
- Nadine C. Santos
- Clinical Academic Center — Braga, Braga, Portugal
- Nuno Sousa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Nuno Sousa
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Portugal
- Nuno Sousa
- Clinical Academic Center — Braga, Braga, Portugal
- Hugo Leite-Almeida
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Hugo Leite-Almeida
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Portugal
- Hugo Leite-Almeida
- Clinical Academic Center — Braga, Braga, Portugal
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2018.00058
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 10
Abstract
Functional hemispheric asymmetries have been described in different cognitive processes, such as decision-making and motivation. Variations in the pattern of left/right activity have been associated with normal brain functioning, and with neuropsychiatric diseases. Such asymmetries in brain activity evolve throughout life and are thought to decrease with aging, but clear associations with cognitive function have never been established. Herein, we assessed functional laterality during a working memory task (N-Back) in a healthy aging cohort (over 50 years old) and associated these asymmetries with performance in the test. Activity of lobule VI of the cerebellar hemisphere and angular gyrus was found to be lateralized to the right hemisphere, while the precentral gyrus presented left > right activation during this task. Interestingly, 1-Back accuracy was positively correlated with left > right superior parietal lobule activation, which was mostly due to the influence of the left hemisphere. In conclusion, although regions were mostly symmetrically activated during the N-Back task, performance in working memory in aged individuals seems to benefit from lateralized involvement of the superior parietal lobule.
Keywords