MIT News breed · Wetenschap

Language skills remain strong in older adults, unlike other cognitive abilities

A new MIT-Boston University study reveals that the brain's language network shows similar activity in older and younger adults, suggesting specialized brain functions are more resilient to aging than general-purpose networks.

While many cognitive functions decline with age, language skills generally remain stable or even improve, with vocabulary often increasing throughout life. This resilience is now linked to specific neural activity patterns.

The study found that the language processing network in older adults (41-80) exhibited nearly identical activity to that of younger adults (17-39) during language tasks. This contrasts sharply with the multiple demand network, involved in executive control like decision-making, which showed significant decline in older participants.

Researchers observed reduced synchronization, extent, and magnitude of activation in the multiple demand network of older adults. In contrast, the language network showed no such age-related differences, even when processing unfamiliar words or complex grammar.

These findings suggest that brain regions specialized for specific functions, such as language, are more resistant to aging than the flexible, general-purpose multiple demand network. The latter's vulnerability to aging remains an open question.

The study utilized brain imaging to compare activity in the two networks during spatial memory tasks (for the multiple demand network) and listening to stories/reading sentences (for the language network). The results consistently showed preserved function in the language network across age groups.

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