The use of resting state data in an integrative approach to studying neurocognitive ageing – commentary on Campbell and Schacter (2016)

ABSTRACT

This is a commentary on Campbell and Schacter (2016), “Ageing and the resting state: Is cognition obsolete?” (Journal Language, Cognition and Neuroscience, Advance online publication. http://doi.org/10.1080/23273798.2016.1227858). Campbell and Schacter argue that resting state data have a limited ability to contribute to the study of neurocognitive ageing and that the field should focus more on results from carefully controlled experimental designs. In this commentary, we argue for a different perspective on future research directions in neurocognitive ageing. Specifically for the need to use a more integrative approach; combining rest and task data as well as information from different modalities to obtain a better understanding of the neural mechanisms that underlie healthy cognitive ageing. Potential benefits of this integrative approach are illustrated with a number of examples. In addition, we discuss some of the advantages of using resting state data as part of this integrative approach.

Acknowledgements

We thank Richard Henson for valuable comments on earlier drafts of this commentary.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by a Rubicon grant from the Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (Netherlands Institute for Scientific research (NWO)) to Linda Geerligs. Kamen Tsvetanov was supported by Wellcome Trust [103838].