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Healthy aging delays the neural processing of face features relevant for behavior by 40?ms.

ABSTRACT: Fast and accurate face processing is critical for everyday social interactions, but it declines and becomes delayed with age, as measured by both neural and behavioral responses. Here, we addressed the critical challenge of understanding how aging changes neural information processing mechanisms to delay behavior. Young (20-36?years) and older (60-86?years) adults performed the basic social interaction task of detecting a face versus noise while we recorded their electroencephalogram (EEG). In each participant, using a new information theoretic framework we reconstructed the features supporting face detection behavior, and also where, when and how EEG activity represents them. We found that occipital-temporal pathway activity dynamically represents the eyes of the face images for behavior ~170?ms poststimulus, with a 40?ms delay in older adults that underlies their 200?ms behavioral deficit of slower reaction times. Our results therefore demonstrate how aging can change neural information processing mechanisms that underlie behavioral slow down.

SUBMITTER: Jaworska K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7268067 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Healthy aging delays the neural processing of face features relevant for behavior by 40 ms.

Jaworska Katarzyna K Yi Fei F Ince Robin A A RAA van Rijsbergen Nicola J NJ Schyns Philippe G PG Rousselet Guillaume A GA

Human brain mapping 20191129 5

Fast and accurate face processing is critical for everyday social interactions, but it declines and becomes delayed with age, as measured by both neural and behavioral responses. Here, we addressed the critical challenge of understanding how aging changes neural information processing mechanisms to delay behavior. Young (20-36 years) and older (60-86 years) adults performed the basic social interaction task of detecting a face versus noise while we recorded their electroencephalogram (EEG). In e ...[more]

PMID: 31782861

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Healthy aging delays the neural processing of face features relevant for behavior by 40?ms.

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Healthy aging delays the neural processing of face features relevant for behavior by 40 ms.

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