Near-infrared imaging of the effects of glucose ingestion and regulation on prefrontal activation during dual-task execution in healthy fasting older adults

RationaleGlucose enhancing effects in older adults have mostly been observed for episodic memory, but have recently been found for attentional control performance. Yet, brain activation patterns underlying these effects are still unknown.ObjectiveThe present study examined the acute effects of glucose ingestion on prefrontal brain activation during the execution of a divided attention task in fasting non-diabetic older adults.MethodsTwenty older adults (60 years and older) took part in the study that included two experimental sessions. After an overnight fast, participants received either a glucose drink (50 g) or a placebo (saccharin) drink, following which they completed a dual-task. During task execution, prefrontal activation was recorded with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). A repeated-measures design was used such that each participant served as his or her own control. The two experimental sessions were counterbalanced among participants and were performed two weeks apart.ResultsWhen participants were in the glucose condition, they showed similar dual-task costs for both tasks, whereas in the placebo condition they prioritized one task over the other, with a significantly larger dual-task cost for the non-prioritized task (p < 0.01). Differential brain activation was also observed in right ventral–lateral prefrontal regions for oxygenated hemoglobin and deoxygenated hemoglobin, with more activation apparent in the glucose condition (p < 0.05). Furthermore, behavioral and activation data were influenced by individual differences in glucose regulation.ConclusionsGlucose ingestion appears to momentarily enhance fasting seniors’ capacity to coordinate more equally two concurrent tasks and this is reflected in brain activation patterns.

► Glucose ingestion improves older adults’ ability to coordinate concurrent tasks.
► It also increases activation in right ventral–lateral prefrontal regions.
► Variations in glucose regulation modulate glucose effects on behavioral and activation data.
► NIRS is an efficient way to study glucose effects in older adults.