| 人进入老年期后,一系列认知功能都会有所衰退,其中最严重的就是工作记忆<ref name="Hertzog 2003">{{cite journal |vauthors=Hertzog C, Dixon RA, Hultsch DF, MacDonald SW |title=Latent change models of adult cognition: are changes in processing speed and working memory associated with changes in episodic memory? |journal=Psychol Aging |volume=18 |issue=4 |pages=755–69 |date=December 2003 |pmid=14692862 |doi=10.1037/0882-7974.18.4.755 }}</ref><ref name="Park, D. C. 2002">{{cite journal |vauthors=Park DC, Lautenschlager G, Hedden T, Davidson NS, Smith AD, Smith PK |title=Models of visuospatial and verbal memory across the adult life span |journal=Psychol Aging |volume=17 |issue=2 |pages=299–320 |date=June 2002 |pmid=12061414 |doi= 10.1037/0882-7974.17.2.299 }}</ref>。心理学对此有几种解释。一个是提姆 · 萨尔特豪斯 Tim Salthouse 提出的关于认知老化的'''加工速度理论 processing speed theory'''<ref>{{cite journal | doi = 10.1037/0033-295X.103.3.403 | last1 = Salthouse | first1 = T. A. | year = 1996 | title = The processing speed theory of adult age differences in cognition | journal = Psychological Review | volume = 103 | issue = 3| pages = 403–428 | pmid = 8759042 | citeseerx = 10.1.1.464.585 }}</ref>。普遍而言,人的认知过程随着年龄增长而滞缓。所以Salthouse 认为工作记忆会有更多的衰减机会,从而使其有效容量降低。然而,工作记忆容量的下降不能完全归因于此,因为老年时期记忆容量的下降速度比速度本身下降的更快<ref name="Park, D. C. 2002" /><ref>{{cite journal | doi = 10.1016/0010-0277(95)00689-3 | last1 = Mayr | first1 = U. | last2 = Kliegl | first2 = R. | last3 = Krampe | first3 = R. T. | year = 1996 | title = Sequential and coordinative processing dynamics in figural transformation across the life span | journal = Cognition | volume = 59 | issue = 1| pages = 61–90 | pmid = 8857471 }}</ref>。另一个是琳恩·哈什尔 Lynn Hasher 和 罗丝·扎克 Rose Zacks 提出的'''抑制假说 inhibition hypothesis'''<ref>Hasher, L., & Zacks, R. T. (1988). Working memory, comprehension, and aging: A review and new view. In G. H. Bower (Ed.), ''The psychology of learning and motivation'', ''Vol. 22'', (pp. 193–225). New York: Academic Press.</ref>。该理论假设老年人排除不相关信息的能力不足。因此,工作记忆往往会被不相关内容所干扰,从而降低记忆内容的有效容量。老年抑制能力缺失的假设得到了大量研究的支持<ref>Hasher, L., Zacks, R. T., & May, C. P. (1999). Inhibitory control, circadian arousal, and age. In D. Gopher & A. Koriat (Eds.), ''Attention and Performance'' (pp. 653–675). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.</ref>,但抑制能力的下降能否完全解释为何工作记忆能力下降,目前为止还不清楚。韦斯特 West对老年工作记忆及其他认知功能的衰退则提出了一种神经层面的解释<ref>{{cite journal | doi = 10.1037/0033-2909.120.2.272 | last1 = West | first1 = R. L. | year = 1996 | title = An application of prefrontal cortex function theory to cognitive aging | journal = Psychological Bulletin | volume = 120 | issue = 2| pages = 272–292 | pmid = 8831298 }}</ref>。她认为前额叶皮层对工作记忆有着很大的影响,而随着年龄的增长,前额叶皮与其他大脑区域相比更容易衰退。由衰老引发的工作记忆衰退可通过低强度经颅刺激同步化额叶或左侧颞叶节律来短期逆转<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/apr/08/scientists-use-electrical-pulses-reverse-memory-decline-ageing|title=Scientists reverse memory decline using electrical pulses|last=Devlin, H.|date=2019-04-08|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-04-09|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>。 | | 人进入老年期后,一系列认知功能都会有所衰退,其中最严重的就是工作记忆<ref name="Hertzog 2003">{{cite journal |vauthors=Hertzog C, Dixon RA, Hultsch DF, MacDonald SW |title=Latent change models of adult cognition: are changes in processing speed and working memory associated with changes in episodic memory? |journal=Psychol Aging |volume=18 |issue=4 |pages=755–69 |date=December 2003 |pmid=14692862 |doi=10.1037/0882-7974.18.4.755 }}</ref><ref name="Park, D. C. 2002">{{cite journal |vauthors=Park DC, Lautenschlager G, Hedden T, Davidson NS, Smith AD, Smith PK |title=Models of visuospatial and verbal memory across the adult life span |journal=Psychol Aging |volume=17 |issue=2 |pages=299–320 |date=June 2002 |pmid=12061414 |doi= 10.1037/0882-7974.17.2.299 }}</ref>。心理学对此有几种解释。一个是提姆 · 萨尔特豪斯 Tim Salthouse 提出的关于认知老化的'''加工速度理论 processing speed theory'''<ref>{{cite journal | doi = 10.1037/0033-295X.103.3.403 | last1 = Salthouse | first1 = T. A. | year = 1996 | title = The processing speed theory of adult age differences in cognition | journal = Psychological Review | volume = 103 | issue = 3| pages = 403–428 | pmid = 8759042 | citeseerx = 10.1.1.464.585 }}</ref>。普遍而言,人的认知过程随着年龄增长而滞缓。所以Salthouse 认为工作记忆会有更多的衰减机会,从而使其有效容量降低。然而,工作记忆容量的下降不能完全归因于此,因为老年时期记忆容量的下降速度比速度本身下降的更快<ref name="Park, D. C. 2002" /><ref>{{cite journal | doi = 10.1016/0010-0277(95)00689-3 | last1 = Mayr | first1 = U. | last2 = Kliegl | first2 = R. | last3 = Krampe | first3 = R. T. | year = 1996 | title = Sequential and coordinative processing dynamics in figural transformation across the life span | journal = Cognition | volume = 59 | issue = 1| pages = 61–90 | pmid = 8857471 }}</ref>。另一个是琳恩·哈什尔 Lynn Hasher 和 罗丝·扎克 Rose Zacks 提出的'''抑制假说 inhibition hypothesis'''<ref>Hasher, L., & Zacks, R. T. (1988). Working memory, comprehension, and aging: A review and new view. In G. H. Bower (Ed.), ''The psychology of learning and motivation'', ''Vol. 22'', (pp. 193–225). New York: Academic Press.</ref>。该理论假设老年人排除不相关信息的能力不足。因此,工作记忆往往会被不相关内容所干扰,从而降低记忆内容的有效容量。老年抑制能力缺失的假设得到了大量研究的支持<ref>Hasher, L., Zacks, R. T., & May, C. P. (1999). Inhibitory control, circadian arousal, and age. In D. Gopher & A. Koriat (Eds.), ''Attention and Performance'' (pp. 653–675). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.</ref>,但抑制能力的下降能否完全解释为何工作记忆能力下降,目前为止还不清楚。韦斯特 West对老年工作记忆及其他认知功能的衰退则提出了一种神经层面的解释<ref>{{cite journal | doi = 10.1037/0033-2909.120.2.272 | last1 = West | first1 = R. L. | year = 1996 | title = An application of prefrontal cortex function theory to cognitive aging | journal = Psychological Bulletin | volume = 120 | issue = 2| pages = 272–292 | pmid = 8831298 }}</ref>。她认为前额叶皮层对工作记忆有着很大的影响,而随着年龄的增长,前额叶皮与其他大脑区域相比更容易衰退。由衰老引发的工作记忆衰退可通过低强度经颅刺激同步化额叶或左侧颞叶节律来短期逆转<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/apr/08/scientists-use-electrical-pulses-reverse-memory-decline-ageing|title=Scientists reverse memory decline using electrical pulses|last=Devlin, H.|date=2019-04-08|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-04-09|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>。 |