Age differences in neural activity during slot machine gambling: an fMRI study

Anna C. McCarrey; Julie D. Henry; William von Hippel; Gabrielle Weidemann; Perminder S. Sachdev; Michael J A Wohl; Mark Williams

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0049787

Age differences in neural activity during slot machine gambling: an fMRI study

Anna C. McCarrey, Julie D. Henry, William von Hippel, Gabrielle Weidemann, Perminder S. Sachdev, Michael J A Wohl, Mark Williams

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Abstract

This study aimed to assess the potential association between age-related prefrontal brain changes and slot machine gambling, an activity that has become increasingly popular among older adults. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to assess healthy older and younger adults whilst playing a slot machine. Results revealed that the older group over-recruited several bilateral and contralateral brain structures relative to the younger group. Specifically, older adults exhibited increased neural activation in the superior prefrontal cortex and left orbitofrontal cortex, indicating greater reliance on these structures. These results suggest a compensatory mechanism, by which older adults recruit a greater number of neural networks from both hemispheres to complete the same gambling task as their younger peers. The broader implications of these findings are discussed in relation to theories of neurocognitive and degenerative change that occurs in late adulthood.

Original language	English
Article number	e49787
Pages (from-to)	1-6
Number of pages	6
Journal	PLoS ONE
Volume	7
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0049787
Publication status	Published - 28 Nov 2012

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Copyright the Author(s) 2012. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

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AU - Wohl, Michael J A

AU - Williams, Mark

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Age differences in neural activity during slot machine gambling: an fMRI study

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