A Research For Lateralization Of Attention Network Differences In Aging Progress

BackgroundAlthough the left and right hemispheres of our brain are highly anatomical and functional similarly,research on the relationship between the structure and function of the human brain shows that they differently involved in human cognitive functioning.This structural and functional asymmetry is lateralization or hemisphere specialization.Attention is an important cognitive ability of human beings and plays an important role in completing daily behaviors.It is considered that a rightward lateralization is for visual spatial attention.However,how this kind of lateralization differences in aging process is unclear.Therefore,understanding the differences in the attention function with age is of great significance to our understanding of the development of brain function.ObjectInvestigate how the lateralization of attention network in healthy people alters with age.MethodsIn this study,we recruited 195 normal subjects of different ages.The subjects were divided into six groups according to age.The first group was 8 to 12 year-old,the second group was 13 to 18 year-old,and the third group was 19 to 28 year-old,the fourth group was 29 to 38 year-old,the fifth group was 39 to 48 year-old,and the sixth group was 49 to 68 year-old.The lateralized attention network test?LANT?was used to evaluate the attention network function of the participants for exploring the differences of the attention network in different groups,and then explore the differences of the lateralization related with age.ResultsThe lateralization of orienting effect altered with age.For orienting network,the lateralization of orienting effect,disengaging and validity effect changed in the aging process(F_5,188= 2.5,p = 0.035,F_5,188= 2.0,p = 0.083 and F_2,191= 3.5,p = 0.033,respectively).No lateralization of alerting effect was observed in the in the aging process(F_5,188< 1,p = 0.486).The lateralization executive control effect changed with age(F_5,188= 4.3,p = 0.001).ConclusionDifferent composition of attentional network changed differently in the aging process.For the orienting and disengaging effect,the process of functional balance,RH lateralization,functional re-balance and RH lateralization was observed.For the validity effect,the process of functional balance,LH lateralization and functional rebalance was observed.For the alerting effect,no lateralization was observed in aging process.For the executive control effect,the process of RH lateralization,LH lateralization,functional balance,RH lateralization and functional re-balance was observed.This meant that the cerebral lateralization changed in the typical aging process.