Computational perspectives on neuromodulation of aging

Abstract

Cognitive functions, such as memory, attention, and perception, decline with age. Besides other neuroanatomical changes, the level of dopamine also attenuates during aging. We review how computational modeling can provide insights in how these lifetime changes in dopamine levels are expressed at the behavioral level yielding a bridge across different levels. Results indicate that attenuation of dopamine lowers the signal to noise ratio providing a less distinctive neural representation, and detrimental cognitive performance. © 2007 Springer-Verlag.