Task-Related Brain Activity during Trail Making and Spiral Drawing Tasks in Young and Older Adults

Abstract

We investigated task-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activity during an MRI-compatible Trail Making Task (TMT) and a spiral drawing task (Spiral test) to establish reference activation patterns for cognitive training studies. Twenty young adults (20–24 years) and 14 older adults (65–81 years) performed block-design tasks (32 s rest/32 s task, four cycles) using a trackball during 1.5 T fMRI acquisition. Exploratory SPM12 analyses (voxel-level uncorrected p < 0.001) assessed task-related activations (task > rest) and within-subject contrasts (TMT > Spiral; Spiral > TMT). In young adults, both tasks engaged the superior parietal lobule; the TMT additionally recruited frontal control regions and subcortical/insular areas, whereas the Spiral test predominantly activated occipital visual and sensorimotor cortices. Contrast analyses indicated greater occipital involvement for the TMT and relatively higher medial frontal/parietal activity for the Spiral test. In older adults, both tasks were dominated by occipital visual activity with limited task-differential effects.