Affiliations: Neuropsychology Unit, Neurology Section, S. Gerardo
Hospital, Department of Neuroscience, University of Milano Bicocca, Monza,
Italy | Neurology Department, IRCCS Multimedica, Castellanza,
Italy
Note: [] Corresponding author: Dr. Valeria Isella, Clinica Neurologica,
Ospedale S. Gerardo dei Tintori, Via Pergolesi 33, 20052, Monza (MI), Italy.
Tel.: +39 2333676; Fax: +39 2333457; E-mail: valeria.isella@unimib.it
Abstract: The "frontal aging hypothesis" predicts that brain senescence
affects predominantly the prefrontal regions. Preliminary evidence has recently
been gathered in favour of an age-related change in a typically frontal
process, i.e. decision making, using the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), but overall
findings have been conflicting. Following the traditional scoring method,
coupled with a qualitative analysis, in the present study we compared IGT
performance of 40 young (mean age: 27.9 ± 4.7) and 40 old
(mean age: 65.4 ± 8.6) healthy adults and of 18 patients
affected by frontal lobe dementia of mild severity (mean age:
65.1 ± 7.4, mean MMSE score: 24.1 ±
3.9). Quantitative findings support the notion that decision making ability
declines with age; moreover, it approximates the impairment observed in
executive dysfunction due to neurodegeneration. Results of the qualitative
analysis did not reach statistical significance for the motivational and
learning decision making components considered, but approached significance for
the attentional component for elderly versus young normals, suggesting a
possible decrease in the ability to maintain sustained attention during complex
and prolonged tasks as the putative deficit underlying impaired decision making
in normal aging.
