Reanalysis demonstrates complex relationships between neural activity and working memory in different age groups, suggesting implications for neural efficiency changes.
Key Points
This research investigates how task-related EEG activity relates to working memory performance in younger and older adults.
Reanalyzed previously published EEG data from younger and older adults during a modified Sternberg task.
Measured aperiodic exponent changes during verbal working memory tasks.
Compared neural inefficiency by analyzing P3b amplitude during different task conditions.
Younger adults exhibited steeper aperiodic slopes than older adults.
Both groups displayed decreased aperiodic exponents during retention periods.
Flatter aperiodic exponents linked to greater neural inefficiency without WM performance improvements.