Available online 20 January 2024

ERP and microstate analyses showed that age effects differed across four tasks

Microstates with ERPs help distinguish among current theories of neural aging

Spatial distributions of neural processing phases differ by age across time and task

Different age-related effects across tasks were most consistent with STAC-r

We explored neural processing differences associated with aging across four cognitive functions. In addition to ERP analysis, we included task-related microstate analyses, which identified stable states of neural activity across the scalp over time, to explore whole-head neural activation differences. Younger and older adults (YA, OA) completed face perception (N170), word-pair judgment (N400), visual oddball (P3), and flanker (ERN) tasks. Age-related effects differed across tasks. Despite age-related delayed latencies, N170 ERP and microstate analyses indicated no age-related differences in amplitudes or microstates. However, age-related condition differences were found for P3 and N00 amplitudes and scalp topographies: smaller condition differences were found for in OAs as well as broader centroparietal scalp distributions. Age group comparisons for the ERN revealed similar focal frontocentral activation loci, but differential activation patterns. Our findings of differential age effects across tasks are most consistent with the STAC-r framework which proposes that age-related effects differ depending on the resources available and the kinds of processing and cognitive load required of various tasks.

Aging

Microstates

STAC-r

ERPs

N170

N400

ERN

P3

© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc.