Executive function (EF) is a complex construct that reflects multiple higher-order cognitive processes such as planning, updating, inhibiting and set-shifting. Decline in these functions is a hallmark of cognitive ageing in humans, and age differences and changes in EF correlate with age-related differences and changes in association cortices, particularly the prefrontal areas. Here, we review evidence for age-related decline in EF and associated neurobiological changes in prosimians, New World and Old World monkeys, apes and humans. While EF declines with age in all primate species studied, the relationship of this decline with age-related alterations in the prefrontal cortex remains unclear, owing to the scarcity of neurobiological studies focusing on the ageing brain in most primate species. In addition, the influence of sex, vascular and metabolic risk, and hormonal status has rarely been considered. We outline several methodological limitations and challenges with the goal of producing a comprehensive integration of cognitive and neurobiological data across species and elucidating how ageing shapes neurocognitive trajectories in primates with different life histories, lifespans and brain architectures. Such comparative investigations are critical for fostering translational research and understanding healthy and pathological ageing in our own species.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Evolution of the primate ageing process’.

执行功能 (EF) 是一个复杂的结构，它反映了多个高阶认知过程，如计划、更新、抑制和设置转移。这些功能的下降是人类认知老化的标志，年龄差异和 EF 的变化与年龄相关的关联皮质的差异和变化有关，尤其是前额叶区域。在这里，我们回顾了与年龄相关的 EF 下降的证据以及原猴、新世界和旧世界猴子、猿和人类的相关神经生物学变化。虽然 EF 在所研究的所有灵长类物种中随着年龄的增长而下降，但这种下降与前额叶皮层年龄相关变化的关系仍不清楚，因为缺乏针对大多数灵长类物种衰老大脑的神经生物学研究。此外，性别的影响，血管和代谢风险以及激素状态很少被考虑。我们概述了几种方法学的局限性和挑战，目的是实现跨物种的认知和神经生物学数据的全面整合，并阐明衰老如何影响具有不同生命史、寿命和大脑结构的灵长类动物的神经认知轨迹。这种比较研究对于促进转化研究和了解我们自己物种的健康和病理性衰老至关重要。我们概述了几种方法学的局限性和挑战，目的是实现跨物种的认知和神经生物学数据的全面整合，并阐明衰老如何影响具有不同生命史、寿命和大脑结构的灵长类动物的神经认知轨迹。这种比较研究对于促进转化研究和了解我们自己物种的健康和病理性衰老至关重要。我们概述了几种方法学的局限性和挑战，目的是实现跨物种的认知和神经生物学数据的全面整合，并阐明衰老如何影响具有不同生命史、寿命和大脑结构的灵长类动物的神经认知轨迹。这种比较研究对于促进转化研究和了解我们自己物种的健康和病理性衰老至关重要。

这篇文章是主题问题“灵长类动物衰老过程的进化”的一部分。