Emotion in older adults

Question 1

How do we define emotion processing?

Answer 1

Emotion processing largely involves recognition, regulation, and aspects of memory

Question 2

What are the regions that support emotion processing?

Answer 2

• Amygdala
• Hippocampus (anterior MTL e.g. Entorhinal/Perirhinal)
• Medial/lateral PFC (vmPFC, vlPFC; dmPFC, dlPFC)
• Anterior cingulate cortex
• Medial PFC regions are likely to mediate the amygdala/lateral PFC relationship

Question 3

How does ageing affect the amygdala?

Answer 3

• Most MRI studies support the relative structural stability of the amygdala across the adult lifespan, compared to other MTL regions
• Cross-sectional data from nearly 3,000 participants shows minimal volume decline until age 70
• Two or more early-life events = smaller amygdala and hippocampal volumes with increasing age
• Youth-like function of the ageing amygdala
• Greater resting-state connectivity involving amygdala in ageing

Question 4

How does ageing affect the anterior cingulate cortex?

Answer 4

• ACC structure appears to be relatively spared in ageing, compared to other frontal regions
• Depressed subjects have significantly lower FA values in white matter of the right ACC –> suggests that altered ACC connectivity plays a pivotal role in emotion processing
• Older adults demonstrate increased functional connectivity between rostral ACC and superior temporal gyrus/inferior frontal gyrus but decreased dorsal ACC-hippocampal connectivity

Question 5

How is the anterior cingulate cortex related to emotion?

Answer 5

• Regulation of mood and social behaviour

- Integrating logic and emotion-based cues in decision making

Question 6

How is the amygdala related to emotion?

Answer 6

• Response to salient, emotionally-relevant stimuli

- Emotional encoding

Question 7

How is the medial PFC related to emotion?

Answer 7

• vmPFC codes for meaning of information in relation to the self/past autobiographical memories
• This region exerts a higher degree of control over the response of the amygdala to negative emotional information in the elderly
• dmPFC is activated to enhance processing of positive information and diminish attention to negative information in old age

Question 8

How does ageing affect the medial PFC?

Answer 8

• Activity in the vmPFC and dmPFC habituates quicker to negative than positive stimuli
• Stronger activity in youth for negative stimuli, whereas older adults activate vmPFC more strongly for positive stimuli
• Older adults over-activate medial PFC –> this shift to prefrontal processing tends to occur in those who are the most positive

Question 9

How is emotion processing affected by ageing?

Answer 9

• Emotional well-being is equal to, if not better than, young adults
• The prevalence of depression decreases with advancing age
• Similar for anxiety but there is debate as to whether age-related integrity or decline better attenuates it
• Degeneration of amygdala-vPFC white matter connections predicts lower trait anxiety
• Motivation to develop a positive self-concept and increase the importance of self-reference behaviour

Question 10

How is emotion memory affected by ageing?

Answer 10

• Many types of memory decline across the lifespan but memory with regard to emotional content appears to be spared
• Co-activation of amygdala and hippocampus is essential for binding/associating information with emotional context
• Although the amygdala maintains integrity, connectivity between it and the hippocampus declines in later life, however connections to prefrontal cortex are strengthened
• Effect appears to be dependent on the specific type of stimuli used