BACKGROUND: An increasing number of studies have shown the effects of aging in basic cognitive processing and higher cognitive functions using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). However, little is known about the aging effects in diverse cognitive abilities, such as spatial leing and reasoning. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of aging on spatial cognitive performance and regional brain activation based on fMRI. DESIGN, TIME, AND SETTING: A block design for fMRI observation. This study was performed at the fMRI Laboratory, Brain Science Research Center, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology from March 2006 to May 2009.PARTICIPANTS: Eight right-handed, male, college students in their 20s (mean age 21.5 years) and six right-handed, male, adults in their 40s (mean age 45.7 years), who graduated from college, participated in the study. All subjects were healthy and had no prior history of psychiatric or neurological disorders. METHODS: A spatial task was presented while brain images were acquired using a 3T fMRI system (ISOL Technology, Korea). The spatial tasks involved selecting a shape that corresponded to a given figure using four examples, as well as selecting a development figure of a diagram. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The accuracy rate (number of correct answers/total number of items×100%) of spatial tasks was calculated. Using the subtraction procedure, the activated areas in the brain during spatial tasks were color-coded by T-score. The double subtraction method was used to analyze the effect of aging between the two age groups (20s versus 40s). RESULTS: The cerebellum, occipital lobe, parietal lobe, and frontal lobe were similarly activated in the two age groups. Increased brain activations, however, were observed in bilateral parietal and superior frontal lobes of the younger group. More activation was observed in bilateral middle frontal and right inferior frontal lobes in the older group. Compared with the older group, the younger men exhibited greater spatial performance (P=0.012). CONCLUSION: Reduced cognitive function correlated with decreased activation areas in the parietal lobe and altered activation in the frontal lobe.