Cortical Activation Patterns to Speech Differ Between Two Age Groups of Older Adults

This study provides novel insights into the neural adaptations accompanying advanced aging. The findings suggest a progressive shift from reliance on executive control mechanisms in less elderly adults to semantic processing strategies in the very elderly, driven by cumulative declines in sensory and cognitive functions. These results underscore the need for age-specific auditory rehabilitation approaches that leverage residual cognitive and linguistic capacities, particularly for the very elderly.