Uncorrelated Age-Related Changes in Visuo-Spatial Working Memory Binding and Thermoregulation.

[en] Ageing is associated with alterations in circadian rhythms and thermoregulation, contributing to a fragmentation of the sleep-wake cycle and possibly age-related changes in cognitive performance. In this study, we investigated the relationship between visuo-spatial working memory (vsWM) performance and thermoregulation in young (18-34 years) and old (64-84 years) healthy human adults. Variations in the distal-proximal skin temperature gradient (DPG) were continuously monitored over the 24 h cycle in a field setting. vsWM was assessed during morning (09:00) and evening sessions (17:00) using an object-location binding task. As expected, a reduced circadian DPG amplitude was observed in old as compared to young participants. Likewise, old participants produced more errors than the young ones in object identification and location, suggesting reduced vsWM ability. Notwithstanding this, no significant association was found between circadian DPG modulation and vsWM performance, nor between testing time-of-day and cognitive performance. Further research is needed to explore environmental factors and the timing of peak circadian rhythms to better understand the interplay between circadian biology and cognitive ageing.

Disciplines :

Neurosciences & behavior

Author, co-author :

Dourte, Marine ; Université de Liège - ULiège > GIGA > GIGA Neurosciences - Sleep and chronobiology ; UR2NF, Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Unit, Affiliated at Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences and ULB Neurosciences Institute, University Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium

Hammad, Grégory ; Université de Liège - ULiège > GIGA > GIGA Neurosciences - Sleep and chronobiology

Schmidt, Christina ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Psychologie > Neuropsychologie de l'adulte

Peigneux, Philippe ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences cliniques ; UR2NF, Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Unit, Affiliated at Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences and ULB Neurosciences Institute, University Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium

Language :

English

Title :

Uncorrelated Age-Related Changes in Visuo-Spatial Working Memory Binding and Thermoregulation.

Publication date :

22 March 2025

Journal title :

Clocks and Sleep

eISSN :

2624-5175

Publisher :

MDPI, Switzerland

Volume :

Issue :

Pages :

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

https://www.mdpi.com/2624-5175/7/2/17/pdf

Funders :

F.R.S.-FNRS - Fund for Scientific Research

Available on ORBi :

since 30 April 2025

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