执行功能和加工速度在工作记忆老化中的作用

The roles of executive functions and processing speed in working memory aging

目的探讨执行功能和加工速度在工作记忆老化中的作用。方法选取60岁以上老年人80名和20岁左右年轻人30名进行工作记忆、执行功能、加工速度测量。结果注意焦点、内容调控和任务管理3种执行功能对工作记忆老化的作用量分别为1.01%、51.22%、12.5%(局部转换耗时)、36.15%(整体转换耗时)。加工速度对工作记忆老化的作用量为47.30%。结论不同的执行功能与加工速度在工作记忆老化中的作用是不同的。注意焦点执行功能既不能解释工作记忆的年龄相关变异,其自身也未发生衰退;内容调控执行功能相对于加工速度可以解释更多的工作记忆的年龄相关变异;任务管理执行功能对工作记忆年龄变异的解释力小于加工速度。

Objective To explore the roles of executive functions and processing speed during working memory decline. Methods A cognitive battery which included measures of working memory, focus attention, content control, process supervision and processing speed were administered to 80 older and 30 young people. Results Focus attention, content control, and process supervision were accounted for 1.01% ,51.22% ,12.5% （local cost）,36. 15% （global cost） of the age variance in working memory respectively. 47.30% of the variance in working memory could be accounted by processing speed. Conclusions Focus attention does not decline with age and not relate with working memory aging. Content control accounts larger proportion age-related variance in working memory than processing speed. Pq rocessing supervision accounts less age-related variance in working memory. These findings suggest that the age-related decline in working memory may due to general slowing and special decline of executive functions.