Journal article
Evidence for Neurocognitive Plasticity in At-Risk Older Adults: The Experience Corps Program
The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, Vol.64A(12), pp.1275-1282
12/2009
DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glp117
PMCID: PMC2781785
PMID: 19692672
Abstract
Objective
To determine whether Experience Corps (EC), a social service program, would improve age-vulnerable executive functions and increase activity in brain regions in a high-risk group through increased cognitive and physical activity.
Methods
Eight community-dwelling, older female volunteers and nine matched wait-list controls were recruited to serve in the ongoing EC: Baltimore program in three elementary schools. We employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) preintervention and postintervention to examine whether EC volunteers improved executive function and showed increased activity in the prefrontal cortex relative to controls. fMRI volunteers were trained and placed with other volunteers 15 h/wk for 6 months during the academic year to assist teachers in kindergarten through third grade to promote children's literacy and academic achievement.
Results
Participants were African American and had low education, low income, and low Mini-Mental State Examination scores (M = 24), indicative of elevated risk for cognitive impairment. Volunteers exhibited intervention-specific increases in brain activity in the left prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex over the 6-month interval relative to matched controls. Neural gains were matched by behavioral improvements in executive inhibitory ability.
Conclusions
Using fMRI, we demonstrated intervention-specific short-term gains in executive function and in the activity of prefrontal cortical regions in older adults at elevated risk for cognitive impairment. These pilot results provide proof of concept for use-dependent brain plasticity in later life, and, that interventions designed to promote health and function through everyday activity may enhance plasticity in key regions that support executive function.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Evidence for Neurocognitive Plasticity in At-Risk Older Adults: The Experience Corps Program
- Creators
- Michelle C Carlson - 1Department of Mental Health, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MarylandKirk I Erickson - 2Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaArthur F Kramer - 3Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignMichelle W Voss - 3Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignNatalie Bolea - 1Department of Mental Health, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MarylandMichelle Mielke - 4Department of Psychiatry, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MarylandSylvia McGill - 5The Greater Homewood Community Corporation, Baltimore, MarylandGeorge W Rebok - 1Department of Mental Health, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MarylandTeresa Seeman - 6Department of Medicine, University of California, Los AngelesLinda P Fried - 7Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, Vol.64A(12), pp.1275-1282
- DOI
- 10.1093/gerona/glp117
- PMID
- 19692672
- PMCID
- PMC2781785
- NLM abbreviation
- J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci
- ISSN
- 1079-5006
- eISSN
- 1758-535X
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 12/2009
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Record Identifier
- 9984001104602771
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