Cognitive function can be measured in many different ways. It is generally considered to consist of a number of different domains that are influenced by different aspects of brain physiology and biochemistry, and which can improve and decline to different degrees over the course of a lifetime. We should expect the various forms of memory, executive function, sensory processing, and cognitive control to be capable of differing in trajectories as degenerative aging progresses, for example. Indeed, studies show this to be the case. While the story of aging writ large is a story of decline, the details have considerable latitude to vary.
The brain develops, and then the brain declines. There is thus a peak of cognitive function, distributed across some range of chronological ages for a given population. The location of that peak will likely vary for the different domains of cognitive function in any specific study population for the reasons given above. Here, researchers show that cognitive control peaks relatively early in adult life, at least relative to the usual perceptions of the character of growing old. As matters actually progress, a person may be sharply intelligent in their late 20s, then not so sharp but a great deal more experienced in their late 40s. A part of that loss of sharpness is a decline in cognitive control.
When does our brain start getting 'old'? Charting the lifespan trajectories of cognitive control
Cognitive control refers to the cognitive process through which individuals regulate attention, thought, and action to achieve specific goals, allowing them to focus on objectives while excluding distractions. For example, maintaining concentration on reading in a library where people are conversing relies heavily on the cognitive control's regulation of attention. Although the patterns of cognitive and behavioral changes related to cognitive control have been well established and serve as diagnostic criteria for development-related and aging-related diseases, systematic research on the corresponding brain activities' changes with age remains limited.
This study collected 139 neuroimaging studies related to cognitive conflict tasks, encompassing 3,765 participants aged 5 to 85 years. Through systematic meta-analysis using seed-based effect size mapping (SDM), generalized additive models (GAM), and model comparison methods, researchers were able to construct the lifespan trajectory of brain activities associated with cognitive control for the first time. The core finding revealed a significant inverted U-shaped lifespan developmental trajectory, where brain activity gradually increases during childhood and adolescence, peaks during adulthood, and slowly declines in later life. The GAM-fitted peak age was found to be between 27 and 36 years.
This period coincides with the peak of individual intellectual maturity and overall cognitive ability, providing a scientific explanation for the high social productivity and creativity exhibited by humans during this phase from a neural mechanism perspective. Notably, the gradual decline in brain function following this peak period suggests the need to prioritize the maintenance and exercise of brain function during middle adulthood to mitigate potential cognitive decline associated with aging.
The lifespan trajectories of brain activities related to conflict-driven cognitive control
Cognitive control is fundamental to human goal-directed behavior. Understanding its trajectory across the lifespan is crucial for optimizing cognitive function throughout life, particularly during periods of rapid development and decline. While existing studies have revealed an inverted U-shaped trajectory of cognitive control in both behavioral and anatomical domains, the age-related changes in functional brain activities remain poorly understood.
To bridge this gap, we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of 139 neuroimaging studies using conflict tasks, encompassing 3765 participants aged 5 to 85 years. We adopted the seed-based d mapping (SDM), generalized additive model (GAM), and model comparison approaches to investigate age-related changes in brain activities to characterize the lifespan trajectories of cognitive control. Our analyses revealed two key findings: (1) The predominant lifespan trajectory is inverted U-shaped, rising from childhood to peak in young adulthood (between 27 and 36 years) before declining in later adulthood; (2) Both the youth and the elderly show weaker brain activities and greater left laterality than young adults. These results collectively reveal the lifespan trajectories of cognitive control, highlighting systematic fluctuations in brain activities with age.
View the full article at FightAging