The Aging Brain

Finalist in the 2 2 PROSE Awards The target audience for this edited volume is researchers in the neuroscience and psychology of aging amp hellip . For the intended audience amp hellip this book makes an excellent contribution to knowledge amp hellip . Highly recommended. (Choice)

Written by knowledgeable experts, this remarkably readable book provides a comprehensive overview of the best research on the aging brain, encompassing cognitive, emotional, social, and motivational processes. What sets this book apart from others, however, is a refreshingly contemporary emphasis on functional adaptation - the ability to cope, compensate, and continue to develop as the brain ages.

In this book, the authors emphasize strategies rather than abilities, which reflects a shift in thinking from age-related amp quot impairments amp quot to amp quot differences amp quot that might have multiple causes. They also provide timely and thoughtful discussions of neural compensation in aging and protective/moderating factors on age effects.

This volume presents an important synthesis of what we know about the brain as people age. Contributors present thorough overviews and helpful calls for future research. A must-read for any researchers interested in memory over the lifespan.

Gregory R. Samanez-Larkin, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, in the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at Duke University. His research examines how individual and age differences in motivation and cognition influence decision making across the life span. This research is at the intersection of a number of subfields within psychology, neuroscience, and economics including human development, affective science, cognitive neuroscience, behavioral economics, and finance. He uses a combination of behavioral and neuroimaging techniques ranging from detailed measurement of functional brain activity (fMRI) and neuroreceptors (PET) in the laboratory to experience sampling in everyday life. Greg lives in Durham, NC.