Age-Related Differences in Prefrontal Cortex Activity during Retrieval Monitoring: Testing the Compensation and Dysfunction Accounts

Current theories of cognitive aging emphasize that the prefrontal cortex might not only be a major source of dysfunction but also a source of compensation. We evaluated neural activity associated with retrieval monitoring—or the selection and evaluation of recollected information during memory retrieval—for evidence of dysfunction or compensation. Younger and older adults studied pictures and words and were subsequently given criterial...