Resting EEG spectral slopes are associated with age-related differences in information processing speed

Previous research has shown the slope of the EEG power spectrum differentiates between older and younger adults in various experimental cognitive tasks. We extend that work, assessing the relation between the EEG power spectrum and performance on the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). Twenty-one younger and twenty-three older adults completed the RBANS with EEG data collected at rest. Using spectral parameterization, we tested the mediating effect of the spectral slope on differences in subsequent cognitive task performance. Older adults performed reliably worse on the RBANS overall, and on the Attention and Delayed Memory domains specifically. However, evidence of mediation was only found for the Coding subtest. The slope of the resting EEG power spectrum mediated age-related differences in cognition, but only in a task requiring speeded processing. Mediation was not statistically significant for delayed memory, even though age-related differences were present. •Forty-four younger and older adults completed a clinically validated cognitive assessment, RBANS.•EEG data were recorded at rest and the 1/f component of power spectrum was estimated.•Older adults performed reliably worse in several RBANS domains.•The 1/f component of resting EEG mediated differences in the RBANS Coding subtest.