This reduction in neural selectivity, or dedifferentiation, is linked to worsening memory performance. We had, to this point, assumed they were one and the same mechanism.”“There isn’t a one-size-fits-all theory of age-related neural dedifferentiation. “There isn’t a one-size-fits-all theory of age-related neural dedifferentiation,” said Rugg, who is also the Distinguished Chair in Behavioral and Brain Sciences. “We know that the neural mechanisms underlying category-level selectivity are robustly related to memory success across the adult lifespan,” Srokova said. “However, the factors that contribute to the relationship between neural selectivity, age and memory abilities remain unknown.