Introduction

Visuo-spatial working memory (VSWM) performances undergo a decline throughout aging and are affected by the space in which the task is performed (reaching or navigational). Cerebral oxygenation and cognitive capabilities could explain this decline. We assessed the effects of age on cerebral oxygenation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) in VSWM tasks in reaching and navigational space. We also assessed cognitive correlates of VSWM performance in each space.

Method

Thirty-one (31) young adults (YA) and 24 healthy older adults (OA) performed a battery of neuropsychological tests and the electronic Corsi Block-tapping Test in reaching space (e-CBT) and in navigational space on the "Virtual Carpet" (VWCT). Participants were asked to memorize and recall a sequential pathway, progressively increasing from 2 to 9 blocks. Their span score reflected VSWM performance. The dlPFC oxygenation (oxyhaemoglobin: ΔO₂Hb and deoxyhaemoglobin: ΔHHb) was measured by using functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) during the encoding of the sequential pathway in both tasks.

Results

YA had higher span scores than OA in both spaces. We identified a significantly stronger decrease of ΔHHb in YA compared to OA during encoding in VWCT. OA also exhibited significantly lower cerebral oxygenation in VWCT compared to e-CBT. A decrease of ΔHHb was also associated with a better performance in VWCT. Finally, we identified the association of mental rotation and executive functions with VSWM performance in both tasks.

Conclusion

VSWM performance and cerebral oxygenation during encoding are impacted by aging. Space in which the task was performed was found to be associated with different cognitive functions and revealed differences in cerebral oxygenation.

中文翻译：

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背外侧前额叶激活和认知能力反映了视觉空间工作记忆与年龄相关的下降

介绍

视觉空间工作记忆 (VSWM) 表现会随着年龄的增长而下降，并受到执行任务（到达或导航）的空间的影响。脑氧合和认知能力可以解释这种下降。我们评估了年龄对 VSWM 任务中到达和导航空间的背外侧前额叶皮层 (dlPFC) 脑氧合的影响。我们还评估了每个空间中 VSWM 性能的认知相关性。

方法

三十一 (31) 名年轻人 (YA) 和 24 名健康的老年人 (OA) 在到达空间 (e-CBT) 和“虚拟地毯”的导航空间中进行了一系列神经心理学测试和电子 Corsi 块敲击测试”（VWCT）。参与者被要求记住和回忆一个连续的路径，从 2 个块逐渐增加到 9 个块。它们的跨度分数反映了 VSWM 性能。dlPFC 氧合（氧合血红蛋白：ΔO ₂ Hb 和脱氧血红蛋白：ΔHHb）是在这两项任务的顺序通路编码期间使用功能性近红外光谱 (fNIRS) 测量的。

结果

在这两个方面，YA 的跨度得分都高于 OA。我们发现，在 VWCT 编码期间，与 OA 相比，YA 中 ΔHHb 的降低显着更强。与 e-CBT 相比，OA 在 VWCT 中也表现出显着较低的脑氧合。ΔHHb 的降低也与 VWCT 的更好表现有关。最后，我们确定了心理旋转和执行功能与两个任务中 VSWM 表现的关联。

结论

编码期间的 VSWM 性能和脑氧合受衰老影响。发现执行任务的空间与不同的认知功能有关，并揭示了脑氧合的差异。