1
|
Turner GR, Hewan P, Wearn A, van Dooren R, Wyatt L, Leppert IR, Baracchini G, Hughes C, Williams KM, Sylvain E, Tremblay-Mercier J, Poirier J, Villeneuve S, Tardif C, Spreng RN. Locus coeruleus integrity is related to an exploitation-based decision-making bias in older adulthood. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2322617121. [PMID: 38771873 PMCID: PMC11145298 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2322617121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Optimal decision-making balances exploration for new information against exploitation of known rewards, a process mediated by the locus coeruleus and its norepinephrine projections. We predicted that an exploitation-bias that emerges in older adulthood would be associated with lower microstructural integrity of the locus coeruleus. Leveraging in vivo histological methods from quantitative MRI-magnetic transfer saturation-we provide evidence that older age is associated with lower locus coeruleus integrity. Critically, we demonstrate that an exploitation bias in older adulthood, assessed with a foraging task, is sensitive and specific to lower locus coeruleus integrity. Because the locus coeruleus is uniquely vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease pathology, our findings suggest that aging, and a presymptomatic trajectory of Alzheimer's related decline, may fundamentally alter decision-making abilities in later life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gary R. Turner
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ONM3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Patrick Hewan
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ONM3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Alfie Wearn
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QCH3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Roel van Dooren
- Institutes of Psychology & Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden2300 RC, The Netherlands
| | - Lindsay Wyatt
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ONM3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Ilana R. Leppert
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QCH2A 2B4, Canada
| | - Giulia Baracchini
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QCH3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Colleen Hughes
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QCH3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Kayla M. Williams
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QCH3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Elisabeth Sylvain
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, QCH4H 1R3, Canada
| | | | - Judes Poirier
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, QCH4H 1R3, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QCH3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Sylvia Villeneuve
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QCH2A 2B4, Canada
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, QCH4H 1R3, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QCH3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Christine Tardif
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QCH3A 2B4, Canada
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QCH2A 2B4, Canada
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, QCH3A 2B4, Canada
| | - R. Nathan Spreng
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QCH3A 2B4, Canada
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QCH2A 2B4, Canada
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, QCH4H 1R3, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QCH3A 1A1, Canada
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QCH3A 1G1, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Guichet C, Banjac S, Achard S, Mermillod M, Baciu M. Modeling the neurocognitive dynamics of language across the lifespan. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26650. [PMID: 38553863 PMCID: PMC10980845 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Healthy aging is associated with a heterogeneous decline across cognitive functions, typically observed between language comprehension and language production (LP). Examining resting-state fMRI and neuropsychological data from 628 healthy adults (age 18-88) from the CamCAN cohort, we performed state-of-the-art graph theoretical analysis to uncover the neural mechanisms underlying this variability. At the cognitive level, our findings suggest that LP is not an isolated function but is modulated throughout the lifespan by the extent of inter-cognitive synergy between semantic and domain-general processes. At the cerebral level, we show that default mode network (DMN) suppression coupled with fronto-parietal network (FPN) integration is the way for the brain to compensate for the effects of dedifferentiation at a minimal cost, efficiently mitigating the age-related decline in LP. Relatedly, reduced DMN suppression in midlife could compromise the ability to manage the cost of FPN integration. This may prompt older adults to adopt a more cost-efficient compensatory strategy that maintains global homeostasis at the expense of LP performances. Taken together, we propose that midlife represents a critical neurocognitive juncture that signifies the onset of LP decline, as older adults gradually lose control over semantic representations. We summarize our findings in a novel synergistic, economical, nonlinear, emergent, cognitive aging model, integrating connectomic and cognitive dimensions within a complex system perspective.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sonja Banjac
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS LPNC UMR 5105GrenobleFrance
| | - Sophie Achard
- LJK, UMR CNRS 5224, Université Grenoble AlpesGrenobleFrance
| | | | - Monica Baciu
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS LPNC UMR 5105GrenobleFrance
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Weisberg SM, Ebner NC, Seidler RD. Getting LOST: A conceptual framework for supporting and enhancing spatial navigation in aging. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2024; 15:e1669. [PMID: 37933623 PMCID: PMC10939954 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Spatial navigation is more difficult and effortful for older than younger individuals, a shift which occurs for a variety of neurological, physical, and cognitive reasons associated with aging. Despite a large body of evidence documenting age-related deficits in spatial navigation, comparatively less research addresses how to facilitate more effective navigation behavior for older adults. Since navigation challenges arise for a variety of reasons in old age, a one-size-fits-all solution is unlikely to work. Here, we introduce a framework for the variety of spatial navigation challenges faced in aging, which we call LOST-Location, Orientation, Spatial mapping, and Transit. The LOST framework builds on evidence from the cognitive neuroscience of spatial navigation, which reveals distinct components underpinning human wayfinding. We evaluate research on navigational aids-devices and depictions-which help people find their way around; and we reflect on how navigation aids solve (or fail to solve) specific wayfinding difficulties faced by older adults. In summary, we emphasize a bespoke approach to improving spatial navigation in aging, which focuses on tailoring navigation solutions to specific navigation challenges. Our hope is that by providing precise support to older navigators, navigation opportunities can facilitate independence and exploration, while minimizing the danger of becoming lost. We conclude by delineating critical knowledge gaps in how to improve older adults' spatial navigation capacities that the novel LOST framework could guide to address. This article is categorized under: Psychology > Development and Aging Neuroscience > Cognition Neuroscience > Behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Steven M. Weisberg
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, 945 Center Dr., Gainesville, FL 32611
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, 1225 Center Dr., Gainesville, FL 32611
| | - Natalie C. Ebner
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, 945 Center Dr., Gainesville, FL 32611
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, 1225 Center Dr., Gainesville, FL 32611
- Institute on Aging, University of Florida, 2004 Mowry Rd., Gainesville, FL 32611
- Department of Physiology and Aging, University of Florida, 1345 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL 32610-0274
| | - Rachael D. Seidler
- Department of Applied Physiology & Kinesiology, University of Florida, 1864 Stadium Rd., Gainesville, FL 32611
- Department of Neurology, University of Florida, 1149 Newell Dr., Gainesville, FL 32611
- Normal Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, 3009 SW Williston Rd. 1864 Stadium Rd., Gainesville, FL 32608
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wyatt LE, Hewan PA, Hogeveen J, Spreng RN, Turner GR. Exploration versus exploitation decisions in the human brain: A systematic review of functional neuroimaging and neuropsychological studies. Neuropsychologia 2024; 192:108740. [PMID: 38036246 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Thoughts and actions are often driven by a decision to either explore new avenues with unknown outcomes, or to exploit known options with predictable outcomes. Yet, the neural mechanisms underlying this exploration-exploitation trade-off in humans remain poorly understood. This is attributable to variability in the operationalization of exploration and exploitation as psychological constructs, as well as the heterogeneity of experimental protocols and paradigms used to study these choice behaviours. To address this gap, here we present a comprehensive review of the literature to investigate the neural basis of explore-exploit decision-making in humans. We first conducted a systematic review of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of exploration-versus exploitation-based decision-making in healthy adult humans during foraging, reinforcement learning, and information search. Eleven fMRI studies met inclusion criterion for this review. Adopting a network neuroscience framework, synthesis of the findings across these studies revealed that exploration-based choice was associated with the engagement of attentional, control, and salience networks. In contrast, exploitation-based choice was associated with engagement of default network brain regions. We interpret these results in the context of a network architecture that supports the flexible switching between externally and internally directed cognitive processes, necessary for adaptive, goal-directed behaviour. To further investigate potential neural mechanisms underlying the exploration-exploitation trade-off we next surveyed studies involving neurodevelopmental, neuropsychological, and neuropsychiatric disorders, as well as lifespan development, and neurodegenerative diseases. We observed striking differences in patterns of explore-exploit decision-making across these populations, again suggesting that these two decision-making modes are supported by independent neural circuits. Taken together, our review highlights the need for precision-mapping of the neural circuitry and behavioural correlates associated with exploration and exploitation in humans. Characterizing exploration versus exploitation decision-making biases may offer a novel, trans-diagnostic approach to assessment, surveillance, and intervention for cognitive decline and dysfunction in normal development and clinical populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay E Wyatt
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Patrick A Hewan
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jeremy Hogeveen
- Department of Psychology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - R Nathan Spreng
- Montréal Neurological Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada; Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada; McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
| | - Gary R Turner
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Daumas L, Zory R, Junquera-Badilla I, Ferrandez M, Ettore E, Robert P, Sacco G, Manera V, Ramanoël S. How does apathy impact exploration-exploitation decision-making in older patients with neurocognitive disorders? NPJ AGING 2023; 9:25. [PMID: 37903801 PMCID: PMC10616174 DOI: 10.1038/s41514-023-00121-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
Apathy is a pervasive clinical syndrome in neurocognitive disorders, characterized by a quantitative reduction in goal-directed behaviors. The brain structures involved in the physiopathology of apathy have also been connected to the brain structures involved in probabilistic reward learning in the exploration-exploitation dilemma. This dilemma in question involves the challenge of selecting between a familiar option with a more predictable outcome, and another option whose outcome is uncertain and may yield potentially greater rewards compared to the known option. The aim of this study was to combine experimental procedures and computational modeling to examine whether, in older adults with mild neurocognitive disorders, apathy affects performance in the exploration-exploitation dilemma. Through using a four-armed bandit reinforcement-learning task, we showed that apathetic older adults explored more and performed worse than non-apathetic subjects. Moreover, the mental flexibility assessed by the Trail-making test-B was negatively associated with the percentage of exploration. These results suggest that apathy is characterized by an increased explorative behavior and inefficient decision-making, possibly due to weak mental flexibility to switch toward the exploitation of the more rewarding options. Apathetic participants also took longer to make a choice and failed more often to respond in the allotted time, which could reflect the difficulties in action initiation and selection. In conclusion, the present results suggest that apathy in participants with neurocognitive disorders is associated with specific disturbances in the exploration-exploitation trade-off and sheds light on the disturbances in reward processing in patients with apathy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lyne Daumas
- Université Côte d'Azur, LAMHESS, Nice, France.
- Université Côte d'Azur, CoBTeK, Nice, France.
| | - Raphaël Zory
- Université Côte d'Azur, LAMHESS, Nice, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | | | - Marion Ferrandez
- Université Côte d'Azur, CoBTeK, Nice, France
- Université Côte d'Azur, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, service Clinique Gériatrique de Soins Ambulatoires, Centre Mémoire de Ressources et de Recherche, Nice, France
| | - Eric Ettore
- Université Côte d'Azur, CoBTeK, Nice, France
- Université Côte d'Azur, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, service Clinique Gériatrique de Soins Ambulatoires, Centre Mémoire de Ressources et de Recherche, Nice, France
- Association Innovation Alzheimer, Nice, France
| | - Philippe Robert
- Université Côte d'Azur, CoBTeK, Nice, France
- Association Innovation Alzheimer, Nice, France
| | - Guillaume Sacco
- Université Côte d'Azur, CoBTeK, Nice, France
- Université Côte d'Azur, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, service Clinique Gériatrique de Soins Ambulatoires, Centre Mémoire de Ressources et de Recherche, Nice, France
- Association Innovation Alzheimer, Nice, France
- Univ Angers, Université de Nantes, LPPL, SFR CONFLUENCES, 49000, Angers, France
| | - Valeria Manera
- Université Côte d'Azur, CoBTeK, Nice, France
- Association Innovation Alzheimer, Nice, France
| | - Stephen Ramanoël
- Université Côte d'Azur, LAMHESS, Nice, France
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, 75012, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Frankenhuis WE, Gopnik A. Early adversity and the development of explore-exploit tradeoffs. Trends Cogn Sci 2023:S1364-6613(23)00091-8. [PMID: 37142526 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Childhood adversity can have wide-ranging and long-lasting effects on later life. But what are the mechanisms that are responsible for these effects? This article brings together the cognitive science literature on explore-exploit tradeoffs, the empirical literature on early adversity, and the literature in evolutionary biology on 'life history' to explain how early experience influences later life. We propose one potential mechanism: early experiences influence 'hyperparameters' that determine the balance between exploration and exploitation. Adversity might accelerate a shift from exploration to exploitation, with broad and enduring effects on the adult brain and mind. These effects may be produced by life-history adaptations that use early experience to tailor development and learning to the likely future states of an organism and its environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Willem E Frankenhuis
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Alison Gopnik
- Department of Psychology and Berkeley Artificial Intelligence Research, University of California at Berkeley, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Henry JD, Coundouris SP, Craik FIM, von Hippel C, Grainger SA. The cognitive tenacity of self-directed ageism. Trends Cogn Sci 2023:S1364-6613(23)00072-4. [PMID: 37147237 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Ageism refers to prejudice or discrimination based on a person's age. When ageism is directed at older people, it is unique in two ways: it is socially condoned in a manner that other types of prejudice are not, and the animus is eventually self-directed. Of central interest here is why ageism becomes self-directed in late adulthood, despite its potentially harmful personal costs. We present a cognitive model in which negative ageist beliefs become increasingly accessible and difficult to eliminate owing to broader developmental shifts in mentation. Given that these effects are contingent on our social environment, systemic changes in societal conceptions of age and aging are needed if we are to reduce vulnerability to self-directed ageism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julie D Henry
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
| | - Sarah P Coundouris
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Courtney von Hippel
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Sarah A Grainger
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Cardoso Melo RD, Schreuder MJ, Groen RN, Sarsembayeva D, Hartman CA. Reward sensitivity across the lifespan in males and females and its associations with psychopathology. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2022.112041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
|
9
|
Age-related differences in Default Mode Network resting-state functional connectivity but not gray matter volume relate to sacrificial moral decision-making and working memory performance. Neuropsychologia 2022; 177:108399. [PMID: 36332697 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Older adults make fewer utilitarian decisions than younger adults during sacrificial moral dilemmas, which are associated with age-related reductions in Default Mode Network resting-state functional connectivity. Decreases on tasks associated with fluid cognitive abilities, such as working memory capacity, are also associated with age-related Default Mode Network changes. Regions within this network demonstrate some of the greatest age-related gray matter atrophy. Age-related changes in structure and function of the Default Mode Network may be associated with poorer working memory capacity and reduced utilitarian moral decision-making. Alternatively, recent theories suggest that age-related changes to Default Mode Network function may be adaptive in the context of tasks that include socioemotional components. As such, reduced within-network resting-state functional connectivity of the Default Mode Network may be associated with differential outcomes in moral decision-making for younger and older adults. In the present study, there were no age-related differences in working memory capacity. Older adults were less likely than younger adults to indicate the utilitarian option when trials involved Instrumental harm. Generally, increased within-network resting-state functional connectivity of the Default Mode Network was associated with better working memory performance in both groups, and reduced bias to endorse the utilitarian option during Incidental dilemmas compared to Instrumental dilemmas in younger adults. Older adults with similar moral decision-making behavior to younger adults demonstrated increased coupling between Default Mode Network and Salience Network regions. These findings suggest that Default Mode Network functional integrity may be differentially associated with age-related changes to working memory capacity and sacrificial moral decision-making.
Collapse
|
10
|
Grilli MD, Sheldon S. Autobiographical event memory and aging: older adults get the gist. Trends Cogn Sci 2022; 26:1079-1089. [PMID: 36195539 PMCID: PMC9669242 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2022.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
We propose that older adults' ability to retrieve episodic autobiographical events, although often viewed through a lens of decline, reveals much about what is preserved and prioritized in cognitive aging. Central to our proposal is the idea that the so-called gist of an autobiographical event is not only spared with normal aging but also well adapted to serve memory-guided behavior in older age. To support our proposal, we review cognitive and brain evidence indicating an age-related shift toward gist memory. We then discuss why this shift likely arises from more than age-related decline and instead partly reflects a natural, arguably adaptive, outcome of experience, motivation, and mode-of-thinking factors. Our proposal reveals an upside of age-related memory changes and identifies important research questions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D Grilli
- Department of Psychology, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
| | - Signy Sheldon
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 1G1, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Vago DR, Farb N, Spreng RN. Clarifying Internally-Directed Cognition: A Commentary on the Attention to Thoughts Model. PSYCHOLOGICAL INQUIRY 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/1047840x.2022.2141005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- David R. Vago
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
- Contemplative Sciences Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Norman Farb
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Canada
| | - R. Nathan Spreng
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, Montreal Neurological Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, Canada
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Fenerci C, Gurguryan L, Spreng RN, Sheldon S. Comparing neural activity during autobiographical memory retrieval between younger and older adults: An ALE meta-analysis. Neurobiol Aging 2022; 119:8-21. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
|
13
|
Brown RM, Gruijters SLK, Kotz SA. Prediction in the aging brain: Merging cognitive, neurological, and evolutionary perspectives. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2022; 77:1580-1591. [PMID: 35429160 PMCID: PMC9434449 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbac062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the aging brain is typically characterized by declines in a variety of cognitive functions, there has been growing attention to cognitive functions that may stabilize or improve with age. We integrate evidence from behavioral, computational, and neurological domains under the hypothesis that over the life span the brain becomes more effective at predicting (i.e., utilizing knowledge) compared to learning. Moving beyond mere description of the empirical literature—with the aim of arriving at a deeper understanding of cognitive aging—we provide potential explanations for a learning-to-prediction shift based on evolutionary models and principles of senescence and plasticity. The proposed explanations explore whether the occurrence of a learning-to-prediction shift can be explained by (changes in) the fitness effects of learning and prediction over the life span. Prediction may optimize (a) the allocation of limited resources across the life span, and/or (b) late-life knowledge transfer (social learning). Alternatively, late-life prediction may reflect a slower decline in prediction compared to learning. By discussing these hypotheses, we aim to provide a foundation for an integrative neurocognitive–evolutionary perspective on aging and to stimulate further theoretical and empirical work.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M Brown
- Institute of Psychology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Stefan L K Gruijters
- Faculty of Psychology, Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, the Netherlands
| | - Sonja A Kotz
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Bednarz PA, Zwolak R. Body mass and sex, but not breeding condition and season, influence open‐field exploration in the yellow‐necked mouse. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8771. [PMID: 35356564 PMCID: PMC8958246 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Theory predicts that risk taking should be influenced by external (e.g., season) and internal (e.g., breeding condition, sex, and body mass) conditions. We investigated whether these factors are associated with a potentially risky behavior: exploration of a novel environment. We conducted repeated open‐field tests of exploration in a common forest rodent, the yellow‐necked mouse Apodemus flavicollis. Contrary to expectations, the exploration did not vary with the season (spring vs. fall) or the reproductive status of the tested animals. Also unexpectedly, there was an inverted U‐shaped relationship between body mass and exploration: animals with intermediate body mass tended to have the highest exploration tendencies. Males were more exploratory than females. Finally, even after adjusting for the effects of body mass and sex, individuals exhibited consistent, repeatable differences in exploration tendencies (“behavioral types” or “personalities”). The discrepancies between certain broad generalizations and our results suggest that risk taking depends on details of species‐specific biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paula A. Bednarz
- Department of Systematic Zoology Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań Poznań Poland
| | - Rafał Zwolak
- Department of Systematic Zoology Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań Poznań Poland
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Dubourg E, Baumard N. Why and How Did Narrative Fictions Evolve? Fictions as Entertainment Technologies. Front Psychol 2022; 13:786770. [PMID: 35300163 PMCID: PMC8921504 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.786770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Narrative fictions have surely become the single most widespread source of entertainment in the world. In their free time, humans read novels and comics, watch movies and TV series, and play video games: they consume stories that they know to be false. Such behaviors are expanding at lightning speed in modern societies. Yet, the question of the origin of fictions has been an evolutionary puzzle for decades: Are fictions biological adaptations, or the by-products of cognitive mechanisms that evolved for another purpose? The absence of any consensus in cognitive science has made it difficult to explain how narrative fictions evolve culturally. We argue that current conflicting hypotheses are partly wrong, and partly right: narrative fictions are by-products of the human mind, because they obviously co-opt some pre-existing cognitive preferences and mechanisms, such as our interest for social information, and our abilities to do mindreading and to imagine counterfactuals. But humans reap some fitness benefits from producing and consuming such appealing cultural items, making fictions adaptive. To reconcile these two views, we put forward the hypothesis that narrative fictions are best seen as entertainment technologies that is, as items crafted by some people for the proximate goal to grab the attention of other people, and with the ultimate goal to fulfill other evolutionary-relevant functions that become easier once other people's attention is caught. This hypothesis explains why fictions are filled with exaggerated and entertaining stimuli, why they fit so well the changing preferences of the audience they target, and why producers constantly make their fictions more attractive as time goes by, in a cumulative manner.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Edgar Dubourg
- Département d'Études Cognitives, Institut Jean Nicod, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Baumard
- Département d'Études Cognitives, Institut Jean Nicod, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Li M, Peng H. How Cues of Being Watched Promote Risk Seeking in Fund Investment in Older Adults. Front Psychol 2022; 12:765632. [PMID: 35095651 PMCID: PMC8790478 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.765632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Social cues, such as being watched, can subtly alter fund investment choices. This study aimed to investigate how cues of being watched influence decision-making, attention allocation, and risk tendencies. Using decision scenarios adopted from the “Asian Disease Problem,” we examined participants’ risk tendency in a financial scenario when they were watched. A total of 63 older and 66 younger adults participated. Eye tracking was used to reveal the decision-maker’s attention allocation (fixations and dwell time per word). The results found that both younger and older adults tend to seek risk in the loss frame than in the gain frame (i.e., framing effect). Watching eyes tended to escalate reckless gambling behaviors among older adults, which led them to maintain their share in the depressed fund market, regardless of whether the options were gain or loss framed. The eye-tracking results revealed that older adults gave less attention to the sure option in the eye condition (i.e., fewer fixations and shorter dwell time). However, their attention was maintained on the gamble options. In comparison, images of “watching eyes” did not influence the risk seeking of younger adults but decreased their framing effect. Being watched can affect financial risk preference in decision-making. The exploration of the contextual sensitivity of being watched provides us with insight into developing decision aids to promote rational financial decision-making, such as human-robot interactions. Future research on age differences still requires further replication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meijia Li
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Huamao Peng
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Morrow D, Chin J. A process-knowledge approach to supporting self-care among older adults. PSYCHOLOGY OF LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.plm.2022.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|