Emotion and aging: evidence from brain and behavior

Abstract

Emotions play a central role in every human life from the moment we are born until we die. They prepare the body for action, highlight what should be noticed and remembered, and guide decisions and actions. As emotions are central to daily functioning, it is important to understand how aging affects perception, memory, experience, as well as regulation of emotions. The Frontiers research topic Emotion and Aging: Evidence from Brain and Behavior takes a step into uncovering emotional aging considering both brain and behavioral processes. The contributions featured in this issue adopt innovative theoretical perspectives and use novel methodological approaches to target a variety of topics that can be categorized into three overarching questions: How do cognition and emotion interact in aging in brain and behavior? What are behavioral and brain-related moderators of emotional aging? Does emotion-regulatory success as reflected in brain and behavior change with age? In this perspective paper we discuss theoretical innovation, methodological approach, and scientific advancement of the 13 papers in the context of the broader literature on emotional aging. We conclude by reflecting on topics untouched and future directions to take.

Hormones as “difference makers” in cognitive and socioemotional aging processes

“…Though there is notable heterogeneity in patterns of change in cognitive function both across and within individuals ( Albert et al, 1995 ; Ram et al, 2011 ; Schmiedek et al, 2013 ), studies consistently document age-related decreases in processing speed, reasoning ability, and various memory components ( Bopp and Verhaeghen, 2005 ; Willis and Schaie, 2006 ; Salthouse, 2010 ). Alongside the broad cognitive aging literature, there is growing evidence of age-related change in socioemotional domains ( Blanchard-Fields, 2007 ; Scheibe and Carstensen, 2010 ; Ebner and Fischer, 2014 ). While some of these changes are characterized by decline, other socioemotional functions remain stable or even improve with age.…”

Enhancing anger perception in older adults by stimulating inferior frontal cortex with high frequency transcranial random noise stimulation

“…Numerous studies have focused on establishing how emotion perception is affected as a function of normal adult aging, as well as the extent and implications of any observed difficulties (e.g. Sullivan and Ruffman, 2004;Isaacowitz et al, 2007;Ebner et al, 2013;Ebner and Fischer, 2014). The overall pattern of results regarding age group differences in facial expression perception is quite consistent: a recent meta-analysis reviewed papers examining age differences in emotion perception and concluded that older adults (60+) have increased difficulty in perceiving at least some basic emotions (particularly anger, sadness, and fear) from faces, but that others remain spared (e.g.…”

Emotion Science in the Twenty-First Century. Time, Sex, and Behavior in Emotion Science: Over and Above

“…Ebner and Fischer, 2014), it is impossible to make any progress in understanding affective behavior and underlying brain mechanisms in health and disease. The outcome of such research sheds light on complicated, contextually-dependent interactions of different major factors influencing affective behavior, and often counters popular wisdom and stereotypes!…”