Psychology and Aging
 2025
DOI: 10.1037/pag0000920
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Prefrontal overrecruitment in older adults: Task demand–dependent efficiency and implications for cognitive aging.

Shulan Hsieh
1
,
Meng-Heng Yang
2
,
Zai‐Fu Yao
3

Abstract: This study examined how prefrontal overactivation in older adults relates to cognitive performance across systematically varied task demands, testing predictions from major neural compensation theories. Using a visual discrimination paradigm, we parametrically manipulated perceptual load, discrimination precision, and response rule complexity. Participants included younger (N = 36; aged 19–33) and older adults (N = 36; aged 56–82). Task performance was measured using inverse efficiency scores (IES), and functi… Show more

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“…59 Using a visual discrimination paradigm another study found that elderly with prefrontal overactivation performed poorly at the highest demand level. 58 Although, these two studies also used different levels of difficulty, they are different from two other studies considering that they are executive tasks, again providing more evidence for the task-dependency of PBR.…”
Section: Association Of Bold Response and Fc With Performancementioning
confidence: 91%
“…57 PBR appears highly context-dependent and modulated by task difficulty, cognitive reserve, and subject-level factors. [58][59][60] One crucial contributor to successful cognitive aging may be the preservation of a youthlike activation pattern as opposed to a reduced activation. 61 While Chen et.…”
Section: ) (Figures 1a/1b and Figures 2a/2bmentioning
confidence: 99%
See 1 more Smart Citation
Exaggerated anticipatory anxiety is common in social anxiety disorder (SAD). Neuroimaging studies have revealed altered neural activity in response to social stimuli in SAD, but fewer studies have examined neural activity during anticipation of feared social stimuli in SAD. The current study examined the time course and magnitude of activity in threat processing brain regions during speech anticipation in socially anxious individuals and healthy controls (HC). Method Participants (SAD n = 58; HC n = 16) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during which they completed a 90s control anticipation task and 90s speech anticipation task.
show abstract
“…59 Using a visual discrimination paradigm another study found that elderly with prefrontal overactivation performed poorly at the highest demand level. 58 Although, these two studies also used different levels of difficulty, they are different from two other studies considering that they are executive tasks, again providing more evidence for the task-dependency of PBR.…”
Section: Association Of Bold Response and Fc With Performancementioning
confidence: 91%
“…57 PBR appears highly context-dependent and modulated by task difficulty, cognitive reserve, and subject-level factors. [58][59][60] One crucial contributor to successful cognitive aging may be the preservation of a youthlike activation pattern as opposed to a reduced activation. 61 While Chen et.…”
Section: ) (Figures 1a/1b and Figures 2a/2bmentioning
confidence: 99%
Exaggerated anticipatory anxiety is common in social anxiety disorder (SAD). Neuroimaging studies have revealed altered neural activity in response to social stimuli in SAD, but fewer studies have examined neural activity during anticipation of feared social stimuli in SAD. The current study examined the time course and magnitude of activity in threat processing brain regions during speech anticipation in socially anxious individuals and healthy controls (HC). Method Participants (SAD n = 58; HC n = 16) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during which they completed a 90s control anticipation task and 90s speech anticipation task.
show abstract
Exaggerated anticipatory anxiety is common in social anxiety disorder (SAD). Neuroimaging studies have revealed altered neural activity in response to social stimuli in SAD, but fewer studies have examined neural activity during anticipation of feared social stimuli in SAD. The current study examined the time course and magnitude of activity in threat processing brain regions during speech anticipation in socially anxious individuals and healthy controls (HC). Method Participants (SAD n = 58; HC n = 16) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during which they completed a 90s control anticipation task and 90s speech anticipation task.
show abstract
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