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Frontal/Subcortical Features of Normal Aging: An Empirical Analysis*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

Charles Hinkin ,
Jeffrey L. Cummings ,
Wilfred G. Van Gorp ,
Paul Satz ,
Maura Mitrushina  and
David Freeman
Charles Hinkin
Affiliation:
West Los Angeles VA Medical Center. UCLA School of Medicine.
Jeffrey L. Cummings
Affiliation:
West Los Angeles VA Medical Center. UCLA School of Medicine.
Wilfred G. Van Gorp
Affiliation:
West Los Angeles VA Medical Center. UCLA School of Medicine.
Paul Satz
Affiliation:
UCLA School of Medicine.
Maura Mitrushina
Affiliation:
UCLA School of Medicine.
David Freeman
Affiliation:
UCLA School of Medicine.
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Abstract

There has been considerable speculation relating the neuroanatomic changes during normal aging with corresponding neuropsychological sequelae. This paper examines the empirical support for the hypothesis that the greatest structural changes in normal aging occur in the frontal-subcortical axis, and that these produce a similar pattern of neuropsychological performance to that seen in younger individuals with subcortical damage. In this study, 14 normal elderly, 12 younger patients with HIV encephalopathy, and 14 young neurologically intact control subjects were studied with a neuropsychological test battery. The results demonstrated that the normal elderly and HIV encephalopathy patients evidenced a strong similarity in both level and pattern of neuropsychological performance despite their considerable age disparity. These results support the notion that normal aging differentially affects functions subserved by frontal-subcortical brain regions.

Résumé

Plusieurs hypothèses ont été émises reliant les changements neuroanatomiques durant le vieillissement normal aux séquelles neuropsychologiques correspondantes. Cet article examine les observations empiriques à l'appui de l'hypothèse soutenant que les changements structuraux les plus importants du vieillissement normal surviennent au sein de l'axe frontal sous-cortical et que ceux-ci entraînent un comportement neuropsychologique semblable à celui retrouvé chez les jeunes personnes victimes de difformité sous-corticale. Pour les besoins de la présente enquête les chercheurs ont administré une série de tests neuropsychologiques à 14 personnes normales d'âge avancé, à 12 personnes plus jeunes atteintes de VIH encéphalopathie, et à 14 jeunes sujets contrôles neurologiquement intacts. Les résultats ont démontré qu'il existe une forte ressemblance entre les personnes d'âge avancé et celles atteintes de VIH encéphalopathie dans leur niveau et dans leur style de comportement neuropsychologique, et ce en dépit des écarts d'âge considérables. Ces résultats appuient done la notion que le vieillissement normal affecte de façon différentielle les fonctions favorisées par les régions frontales sous-corticales du cerveau.

Keywords

AgingFrontal/SubcorticalNeuropsychologyHIV Encephalopathy.
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 9 , Issue 2 , Summer/Été 1990 , pp. 104 - 119
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1990

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