TY - JOUR
T1 - Quantitative EEG evaluation in normal elderly subjects during mental processes
T2 - Age-related changes
AU - Marciani, M. G.
AU - Maschio, M.
AU - Spanedda, F.
AU - Caltagirone, C.
AU - Gigli, G. L.
AU - Bernardi, G.
PY - 1994
Y1 - 1994
N2 - Computerized EEG study was performed on 39 healthy elderly subjects (50-90 years), divided into two cohorts of increasing age (old, older) and on a group of 21 young controls. The EEG was recorded at rest, with eyes closed (EC) and during blocking reaction (BR), fixation (FIX) and mental arithmetic (MA) tasks. At rest with EC, the only significant variation was an increase of betal relative power in old subjects which was positively correlated with age. During the performance of the mental tasks, in the elderly population when compared to young controls, the slow activity decreased slightly or was not significantly modified, while the alpha reactivity progressively decreased, showing a negative correlation with age in the older group. Beta2 increased significantly in elderly subjects during BR and FIX but such change was less consistent with increasing age. Data show that at rest, the EEG in the elderly population differs only from that of young controls by showing a more pronounced fast activity, while only during mental processes is it possible to evidence changes that can be utilized as physiological markers" of normal aging.
AB - Computerized EEG study was performed on 39 healthy elderly subjects (50-90 years), divided into two cohorts of increasing age (old, older) and on a group of 21 young controls. The EEG was recorded at rest, with eyes closed (EC) and during blocking reaction (BR), fixation (FIX) and mental arithmetic (MA) tasks. At rest with EC, the only significant variation was an increase of betal relative power in old subjects which was positively correlated with age. During the performance of the mental tasks, in the elderly population when compared to young controls, the slow activity decreased slightly or was not significantly modified, while the alpha reactivity progressively decreased, showing a negative correlation with age in the older group. Beta2 increased significantly in elderly subjects during BR and FIX but such change was less consistent with increasing age. Data show that at rest, the EEG in the elderly population differs only from that of young controls by showing a more pronounced fast activity, while only during mental processes is it possible to evidence changes that can be utilized as physiological markers" of normal aging.
KW - EEG
KW - Mental processes
KW - Normal aging
KW - Spectral analysis
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U2 - 10.3109/00207459408985998
DO - 10.3109/00207459408985998
M3 - Article
C2 - 7960462
AN - SCOPUS:0028437299
VL - 76
SP - 131
EP - 140
JO - International Journal of Neuroscience
JF - International Journal of Neuroscience
SN - 0020-7454
IS - 1-2
ER -