Neural compensation in older people with brain β-amyloid deposition

The recruitment of additional neural resources may allow elderly adults to maintain normal cognition despite β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques. Previous fMRI studies have reported such hyperactivation, but it is currently unclear if these increases represent compensation or aberrant over-excitation. We found that older adults with Aβ deposition had reduced deactivations in task negative regions, but increased activation in task positive regions related to more detailed memory encoding. The association between higher activity levels and more detailed memories suggests that Aβ-related hyperactivation is a compensatory mechanism, potentially reflecting brain plasticity in response to Aβ deposition.