2020 Volume Annual58 Issue Abstract Pages 132
In the elderly brain, it is reported that the functions of the dorsal visual system weaken and that those of the ventral system become relatively superior (Moriguchi, 2009). Reinforcement of the dorsal system activities in the elderly may reduce the age-related decline in visuo-spatial/visuo-motor functions. For this purpose, mental rotation (MR) training is considered to be effective to reform neural networks connecting brain regions along the dorsal system (Berneiser, 2016). However, it is still not clear how the MR task difficulty (or rotation load) changes the brain activities, and consequently, the behavioral performance. Here we used fMRI to evaluate the effect of MR training on elderly people due to the difference in rotational load. MR tasks are divided into three categories depending on the rotation loads, namely, Easy, Medium and Difficult. The activities in the dorsal visual system significantly increased in Easy and Medium conditions after 2-week MR training sessions. The current preliminary results suggest that the effect of MR training depends on the difficulty setting of the MR trials. Results of the group statistics on elderly population will be also reported.
