A comprehensive study of cognitive control in healthy aging

BACKGROUND: Declines in cognitive control impact older adults' daily life and independence. Cognitive control frameworks distinguish different subcomponents, such as inhibition, updating, shifting, proactive and reactive control. A comprehensive overview of how these subcomponents develop in aging is lacking, with research typically focusing on small samples treated as a homogenous age group, targeting a single subcomponent, or using heterogenous tasks across studies. The aim of the current study was therefore to provide a more comprehensive overview of cognitive control in aging, studying multiple subcomponents in a large sample including different age cohorts. METHODS: In the current study, young adults (N = 75) and three cohorts of older adults (N = 231) completed an extensive test battery assessing multiple subcomponents of cognitive control, including response inhibition, interference control, updating, shifting, and reactive and proactive control. Linear mixed models and generalized linear mixed models were used to compare cognitive control performance between the age groups. RESULTS: Our results show improved response inhibition and interference control in older compared to young adults. Updating and shifting decrease with age, while proactive control remains preserved in older adults. CONCLUSIONS: These findings show that changes in cognitive control subcomponents follow different onsets and trajectories, highlighting the importance of including them in cognitive aging research. While some cognitive control functions decline, others seem to be preserved or even improve with age. Longitudinal follow-up studies can help uncover inter- and intra-individual changes in subcomponents with aging.