Abstract
The ability to perceive and produce speech undergoes important changes in late adulthood. The goal of the present study was to characterize functional and structural age-related differences in the cortical network that support speech perception and production, using magnetic resonance imaging, as well as the relationship between functional and structural age-related changes occurring in this network. We asked young and older adults to observe videos of a speaker producing single words (perception), and to observe and repeat the words produced (production). Results show a widespread bilateral network of brain activation for Perception and Production that was not correlated with age. In addition, several regions did show age-related change (auditory cortex, planum temporale, superior temporal sulcus, premotor cortices, SMA-proper). Examination of the relationship between brain signal and regional and global gray matter volume and cortical thickness revealed a complex set of relationships between structure and function, with some regions showing a relationship between structure and function and some not. The present results provide novel findings about the neurobiology of aging and verbal communication.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1935e1951 |
Journal | Neurobiology of Aging |
Volume | 34 |
Issue number | 8 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 2013 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Brain reserve capacity
- Gray matter volume
- Language
- MRI
- Normal aging
- Speech perception
- Speech production
- Surface-based cortical thickness
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Clinical Neurology
- Geriatrics and Gerontology
- Aging
- General Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology