当前认知随着年龄的增长而下降的理论的基本前提往往主要是认知或生物学解释,相对较少的理论充分整合了这两个方面。尽管文献也强调了导致认知衰老的几个因素的重要性,包括:(a)感觉能力下降;(b)运动速度对认知速度的纸笔测量的影响;(c)教育水平和身体活动的影响;(d)随年龄增长而发生的分子生物学变化,这些因素很少涉及任何单一的认知衰老理论模型。的确,这种综合的衰老生物认知模型有可能提供对注意力的更全面的理解,感知,学习,和整个生命周期的记忆。因此,这篇综述的目的是批判性地评估与年龄相关的认知衰退的常见理论,并强调需要更全面的系统神经科学方法来研究认知衰老.
The underlying premise of current theories of cognitive decline with age tend to be primarily cognitive or biological explanations, with relatively few theories adequately integrating both aspects. Though literature has also emphasized the importance of several factors that contribute to cognitive aging including: (a) decline in sensory abilities; (b) the effect of motor speed on paper-pencil measures of cognitive speed; (c) the impact of level of education and physical activity; and (d) molecular biological changes that occur with age, these factors have seldom been implicated into any single theoretical model of cognitive aging. Indeed, such an integrated bio-cognitive model of aging has the potential to provide a more comprehensive understanding of attention, perception, learning, and memory across the lifespan. Thus, the aim of this
review was to critically evaluate common theories of age-related cognitive decline and highlight the need for a more comprehensive systems neuroscience approach to cognitive aging.