Age-related reductions in executive functions and the brain networks that support them, such as the frontoparietal network (FPN) and default mode network (DMN), have been well-documente . Less well known, however, are the cognitive and neural consequences of mild cerebrovascular disease. The present study sought to employ a revised stroke risk classification system (CHA2DS2VASc) to validate its utility as a predictor of working memory performance in a sample of 45 healthy older adults and determine if this relationship is related to coherence of the FPN and DMN. Results validated CHA2DS2VASc as a predictor of age-related working memory decline, and connectivity of FPN and DMN regions; while their mean coherence did not significantly influence this relationship, connectivity of the left dorsolateral prefrontal and right posterior parietal cortices mediated the relation between CHA2DS2VASc and working memory. Findings identified CHA2DS2VASc as an early marker of stroke risk in healthy older adults and a potential mechanistic basis for age-related working memory in two prominent FPN nodes.
