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Age-Related Executive Dysfunction

Meaning

A specific pattern of cognitive decline characterized by the measurable impairment of higher-order cognitive processes governed by the prefrontal cortex, which include complex planning, rational decision-making, working memory capacity, and cognitive flexibility, observed as a direct function of biological aging. This represents a critical component of neurocognitive aging that directly compromises an individual’s capacity for complex, goal-directed, and adaptive behavior. It is a functional impairment that is distinct from simple episodic memory loss and significantly impacts the orchestration of daily life tasks.