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EARLY NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL MARKERS OF COGNITIVE AGING: DISTINGUISHING BIOLOGICAL FROM CHRONOLOGICAL AGE IN MIDDLE-AGED ADULTS
Myriam Cayreand 5 co-authors
Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS
FENS Forum 2026 (2026)
Barcelona, Spain
Board PS05-09AM-632
Presentation
Date TBA
Board: PS05-09AM-632
Event Information
Poster Board
PS05-09AM-632
Poster
View posterAbstract
Aim: Cognitive aging is heterogeneous and often diverges from chronological age. This study aimed at identifying early neurophysiological markers of age-related cognitive decline.
Methods: We used EEG and pupillometry during a visuospatial working memory (WM) task in middle-aged adults (MA, n=60, mean age=54.3) compared to young adults (YA, n=24, mean age=22.7).
Results: Performance variability emerged by midlife: High-performing MA (MA_HP) showed prompt, sustained pupil dilation and elevated parietal engagement (β/(α+θ) ratio), outperforming both YA and low-performing MA (MA_LP). MA_LP exhibit delayed, blunted pupil responses and reduced parietal engagement. Fronto-parietal alpha/beta event-related desynchronization (ERD) was observed across groups, but MA_HP displayed stronger, sustained ERD, with parietal beta ERD during encoding extending to frontal theta/alpha during retention.
Conclusions: High WM performance in midlife relies on flexible coordination of autonomic (locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system) and cortical resources, revealing multimodal neurophysiological signatures that distinguish biological from chronological aging as early as the fifth decade.
Methods: We used EEG and pupillometry during a visuospatial working memory (WM) task in middle-aged adults (MA, n=60, mean age=54.3) compared to young adults (YA, n=24, mean age=22.7).
Results: Performance variability emerged by midlife: High-performing MA (MA_HP) showed prompt, sustained pupil dilation and elevated parietal engagement (β/(α+θ) ratio), outperforming both YA and low-performing MA (MA_LP). MA_LP exhibit delayed, blunted pupil responses and reduced parietal engagement. Fronto-parietal alpha/beta event-related desynchronization (ERD) was observed across groups, but MA_HP displayed stronger, sustained ERD, with parietal beta ERD during encoding extending to frontal theta/alpha during retention.
Conclusions: High WM performance in midlife relies on flexible coordination of autonomic (locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system) and cortical resources, revealing multimodal neurophysiological signatures that distinguish biological from chronological aging as early as the fifth decade.
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