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Power and distribution of evoked gamma oscillations in brain aging and cognitive performance

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Abstract

Aims

Gamma oscillations (≈25–100 Hz) are believed to play an essential role in cognition, and aberrant gamma oscillations occur in brain aging and neurodegeneration. This study examined age-related changes in visually evoked gamma oscillations at two different time points 5 years apart and tested the hypothesis that the power of gamma oscillations correlated to cognitive skills.

Methods

The cohort consists of elderly males belonging to the Metropolit 1953 Danish Male Birth Cohort (first visit, N=124; second visit, N=88) over a 5-year period from 63 to 68 years of age. Cognitive functions were assessed using a neuropsychological test battery measuring global cognition, intelligence, memory, and processing speed. The power of steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEP) was measured at 8 Hz (alpha) and 36 Hz (gamma) frequencies using EEG scalp electrodes.

Results

Over the 5-year period cognitive performance remained relatively stable while the power of visually evoked gamma oscillations shifted from posterior to anterior brain regions with increasing age. A higher-than-average cognitive score was correlated with higher gamma power in parieto-occipital areas and lower in frontocentral areas, i.e., preserved distribution of the evoked activity.

Conclusions

Our data reveal that the distribution of visually evoked gamma activity becomes distributed with age. Preserved posterior-occipital gamma power in participants with a high level of cognitive performance is consistent with a close association between the ability to produce gamma oscillations and cognition. The data may contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms that link evoked gamma activity and cognition in the aging brain.

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Acknowledgements

We want to thank Sine Kongsbak Arvedsen and Natalia Christina Brandstrup for their work with coordinating the project and the extensive data collection. We also thank Keng Wah Niels Pang and Miki Nikolic for all technical assistance and their valuable input on processing of the EEG data.

Funding

The study was supported by a Nordea Foundation Grant to the Center for Healthy Ageing at the University of Copenhagen. The Copenhagen Ageing and Midlife Biobank is supported by grants from the Velux Foundation (VELUX26145 and 31539).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, The Neuroscience Centre, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Aftab Bakhtiari, Jacob Petersen, Olalla Urdanibia-Centelles, Martin Lauritzen & Krisztina Benedek

  2. Center for Healthy Aging, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Aftab Bakhtiari & Martin Lauritzen

  3. Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Aftab Bakhtiari & Martin Lauritzen

  4. Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Birgitte Fagerlund

  5. Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Erik Lykke Mortensen & Merete Osler

  6. Center for Clinical Research and Prevention, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Merete Osler

  7. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center, Copenhagen University Hospital – Mental Health Services CPH, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Birgitte Fagerlund

  8. Pioneer Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Department of Computer Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Mostafa Mehdipour Ghazi

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  1. Aftab Bakhtiari
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Aftab Bakhtiari.

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Ethical approval and consent to participate

The study was approved by the Capital Region of Denmark’s Committee on Health Research Ethics (H-1–2014032). All participants provided written consent regarding their participation and publication of the current data.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

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Bakhtiari, A., Petersen, J., Urdanibia-Centelles, O. et al. Power and distribution of evoked gamma oscillations in brain aging and cognitive performance. GeroScience 45, 1523–1538 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-023-00749-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-023-00749-x

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