Abstract:

Aging is characterized decrease in many cognitive abilities in this stage. Neurocognitive models focus on the compensation mechanisms associated with overactivation in the brain. This overactivation may reflect compensatory mechanisms acting to balance and protect the age-related decline in cognitive performance. The aim of this review is to examine the four most effective neurocognitive models developed to explain the compensatory mechanisms that emerge with healthy aging, and to discuss their contributions and limitations. In this context, the reviewed models include the Hemispheric Asymmetry Reduction in Older Adults (HAROLD) Model, the Posterior-Anterior Shift in Aging (PASA) Theory, the Compensation-Related Utilization of Neural Circuits Hypothesis (CRUNCH), and the scaffolding theory of aging and cognition (STAC; STAC-r). However, cognitive models developed prior to neurocognitive models have explained age-related cognitive differences and focused on age-related impairments. Thus, they fall short of providing a comprehensive explanation of cognitive change. Neurocognitive models, on the other hand, focus on the use of neural networks to activate compensatory mechanisms and emphasize that the compensation process predominantly occurs in frontal regions. Therefore, neurocognitive models are more comprehensive in explaining the neurocognitive foundations of aging; however, they are still insufficient due to some limitations. The aging population is increasing both in Turkey and worldwide, leading to a rise in dementia cases. In this context, increasing the number of studies that test neurocognitive models and developing new and more comprehensive models based on the results obtained from these studies are important for understanding the nature of the aging process.

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