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The Journal of Neuroscience, January 2, 2008, 28(1):91-99; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3300-07.2008

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Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive
Systems Neuroplasticity in the Aging Brain: Recruiting Additional Neural Resources for Successful Motor Performance in Elderly Persons

Sofie Heuninckx, Nicole Wenderoth, and Stephan P. Swinnen

Motor Control Laboratory, Group Biomedical Sciences, K.U. Leuven, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium

Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Stephan P. Swinnen, Laboratory of Motor Control, Division of Motor Control and Neuroplasticity, Department of Biomedical Kinesiology, Group Biomedical Sciences, K.U. Leuven, Tervuursevest 101, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium. Email: Stephan.Swinnen{at}faber.kuleuven.be

Functional imaging studies have shown that seniors exhibit more elaborate brain activation than younger controls while performing motor tasks. Here, we investigated whether this age-related overactivation reflects compensation or dedifferentiation mechanisms. "Compensation" refers to additional activation that counteracts age-related decline of brain function and supports successful performance, whereas "dedifferentiation" reflects age-related difficulties in recruiting specialized neural mechanisms and is not relevant to task performance. To test these predictions, performance on a complex interlimb coordination task was correlated with brain activation. Findings revealed that coordination resulted in activation of classical motor coordination regions, but also higher-level sensorimotor regions, and frontal regions in the elderly. Interestingly, a positive correlation between activation level in these latter regions and motor performance was observed in the elderly. This performance enhancing additional recruitment is consistent with the compensation hypothesis and characterizes neuroplasticity at the systems level in the aging brain.

Key words: aging; fMRI; motor control; interlimb coordination; cognition; compensation; dedifferentiation; neuroplasticity

Received Feb. 15, 2007; revised Oct. 4, 2007; accepted Nov. 9, 2007.

Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Stephan P. Swinnen, Laboratory of Motor Control, Division of Motor Control and Neuroplasticity, Department of Biomedical Kinesiology, Group Biomedical Sciences, K.U. Leuven, Tervuursevest 101, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium. Email: Stephan.Swinnen{at}faber.kuleuven.be






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