ISSN 1671-3710
CN 11-4766/R
主办:中国科学院心理研究所
出版:科学出版社

›› 2009, Vol. 17 ›› Issue (1): 86-91.

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Cognitive Aging and the Brain: HAROLD Model Debate

FU Yan;WANG Da-Hua   

  1. Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
  • Received:2008-05-05 Revised:1900-01-01 Online:2009-01-15 Published:2009-01-15
  • Contact: WANG Da-Hua

Abstract: HAROLD model (Hemispheric Asymmetry Reduction in Older Adults) refers to the phenomenon that brain activation during cognitive performance tends to be less lateralized in older adults than in younger adults. Since the proposal of the model, a lot of studies have been elicited. In recent years, a series of studies have provided much evidence in support of this model from different fields, such as memory, inhibition, language, sense-motor process and brain structure. However, other studies have argued against the model, in particular its explanation of the compensation hypothesis. By analyzing the literatures in light of these two aspects, it is suggested that HAROLD is a task-specific model and that other hypotheses other than the compensation view can also explain the age-related differences in functional brain imaging. A unified operational definition of brain activation could be useful in further clarifying these issues

Key words: cognitive aging, HAROLD, compensation hypothesis, brain imaging

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