Age-related changes in the brain electrical correlates of response control

Objectives: Previously, a quantification method was validated which, on a s ingle case basis, allows one to assess the NoGo-anteriorisation (NGA) of th e positive area of long latency event-related potential (ERP) fields elicit ed by a cued continuous performance test (CPT). The NGA was shown to be ass ociated with right frontal activity. The present study was conducted to inv estigate the influence of age and gender on this topographical index of cog nitive response control. Methods: Thirty-seven healthy controls were investigated with 21-channel re cordings during the execution of a cued CPT, and ERPs of the Go and NoGo co ndition were obtained. The location of the positive area centroids in a P30 0 range and the NGA were calculated and related to age and gender by means of correlation analysis and t tests. Results: The centroid locations of the brain electrical activity during the NoGo- and the Go-condition of the CPT, were both located in more anterior brain regions with increasing age (P < 0.01 and P < 0.1, respectively); the NGA, however, was not correlated with the subject's age. Latencies and amp litudes of the Go- and NoCo-centroids were not correlated with age. No gend er differences were found. Conclusions: The study showed that age is a source of variance for the posi tive area centroid locations in this Go-NoCo paradigm. The NGA, on the othe r hand, was robust to age and gender effects. The result is interpreted as a sign of an increasing contribution of frontal brain areas to cognitive re sponse control during lifespan. The finding is consistent with the age-rela ted topographical changes described in acoustic oddball-paradigms and, ther efore, appears to be a general topographical ERP effect. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.