Towards the understanding of healthy and pathological aging through MEG

Abstract

The study of healthy and pathological aging with Magnetoencephalography (MEG) has become more widespread in recent years. This is mainly due to its excellent temporal resolution which allows the evaluation of functional connectivity in the frequency domain. These characteristics make MEG unique for the study of the organization of the neurophysiological mechanisms supporting cognitive capabilities in the aging brain. In this chapter we will review MEG findings in normal and pathological aging. In normal aging, we will go through the mechanisms of forgetting and the assessment of the default mode network organization. In the field of pathological aging, the literature has mainly focused on Alzheimer's Disease (AD). These studies assess sensory memory, short-term and long-term memory, indicating decreased activity and connectivity in AD patients but increased activity at early stages such as Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Finally, there is extensive literature using resting state recordings to characterize the brain networks of patients with dementia in a non-task context. All these topics will be discussed in the context of the literature of cognitive neuroscience of aging. Potential new approaches and recommendations for future research will be provided.