scholarly journals Effects of age on inhibitory control are affected by task-specific features

2018 ◽  
Vol 71 (5) ◽  
pp. 1219-1233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela de Bruin ◽  
Sergio Della Sala
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Simon Task ◽  
Flanker Task ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Age Effects ◽  
Control Task ◽  
Younger Adults

Older adults have been argued to have impoverished inhibitory control compared to younger adults. However, these effects of age may depend on processing speed and their manifestation may furthermore depend on the type of inhibitory control task that is used. We present two experiments that examine age effects on inhibition across three tasks: a Simon arrow, static flanker and motion flanker task. The results showed overall slower reaction times (RTs) for older adults on all three tasks. However, effects of age on inhibition costs were only found for the Simon task, but not for the two flanker tasks. The motion flanker task furthermore showed an effect of baseline processing speed on the relation between age and inhibition costs. Older adults with slower baseline responses showed smaller inhibition costs, suggesting they were affected less by the flanker items than faster older adults. These findings suggest that effects of age on inhibition are task dependent and can be modulated by task-specific features such as the type of interference, type of stimuli and processing speed.

The Context of Caution: An Examination of Age, Social Context, and Sex on Measures of Inhibitory Control and Risky Decision-Making

2019 ◽  
Vol 90 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raquel A. Cowell ◽  
Elizabeth R. Paitel ◽  
Sierra Peters
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Flanker Task ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Risky Decision ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Attentional Processes ◽  
Main Effect ◽  
Comparable Accuracy

Understanding how older adults successfully navigate complex choices like driving requires the consideration of processing speed, inhibitory control, attentional processes, and risk management, and the context within which these decisions occur. The current study employed the Flanker task, the Stoplight task, and a personality inventory with 43 younger adults and 49 older adults either while they were alone or being observed by two same-sex, similarly aged peers. On the Flanker task, older adults performed more slowly, but with comparable accuracy. On the Stoplight task, there was a significant main effect of Context, and an Age-Group by Sex interaction, even after controlling for response time: All groups had a greater number of crashes when alone, and young adult males had significantly more crashes than any other group. These results emphasize the importance of considering the broader context of decision-making.

Cognitive inhibitory control in children following early childhood music education

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Eve Joret ◽  
Filip Germeys ◽  
Yori Gidron
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Simon Task ◽  
Musical Training ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Error Rates ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Music Training

The relationship between music training and executive functions has remained inconsistent in previous studies, possibly due to methodological limitations. This study aims to investigate cognitive inhibitory control in children (9–12 years old) with and without musical training, while carefully considering confounding variables. To assess executive functions, the Simon task was used, measuring reaction times (RTs) and error rates on congruent and incongruent trials. Information on important variables such as bilingualism, socio-economic status (SES), music pedagogy and amount of musical training was collected through a parental questionnaire. Furthermore, verbal and non-verbal intelligence were assessed with validated tests to consider their effects as well. The results showed that the samples did not significantly differ in background variables. The analysis of the RT data on the Simon task revealed a significant group × congruency interaction, such that musically trained children showed a reduced magnitude of the congruency effect (RTs on incongruent trials – RTs on congruent trials) compared to non-musicians. To conclude, music training seems to be associated with enhanced cognitive inhibitory control in well-matched samples.

scholarly journals Reliance on central vs. peripheral vision for visual search in younger and older adults

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Sophie Laurin ◽  
Julie Ouerfelli-Éthier ◽  
Laure Pisella ◽  
Aarlenne Zein Khan
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Visual Search ◽  
Peripheral Vision ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Central Vision ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Serial Search ◽  
Attentional Resources ◽  
Search Tasks ◽  
Fixation Durations

Older adults show declines performing visual search, but their nature is unclear. We propose that it is related to greater attentional reliance on central vision. To investigate this, we tested how occluding central vision would affect younger and older adults in visual search. Participants (14 younger, M = 21.6 years; 16 older, M = 69.6 years) performed pop-out and serial search tasks in full view and with different sized gaze-contingent artificial central scotomas (no scotoma, 3°, 5° or 7° diameter).In pop-out search, older adults showed longer search times for peripheral targets during full viewing. Their reaction times, saccades and fixation durations also increased as a function of scotoma size, contrary to younger adults. These declines may reflect a relative impairment in peripheral visual attention for global processing in aging.In serial search, despite older adults being generally slower, we found no difference between groups in reaction time increases for eccentric targets and for bigger scotomas. These results may come from the difficulty of serial search, in which both groups used centrally limited attentional windows.We conclude that older adults allocate more attentional resources towards central vision compared to younger adults, impairing their peripheral processing primarily in pop-out visual search.

scholarly journals I know your face but can’t remember your name: Age-related differences in the FNAME-12NL

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Enriquez-Geppert ◽  
J F Flores-Vázquez ◽  
M Lietz ◽  
M Garcia-Pimenta ◽  
P Andrés
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Associative Memory ◽  
Recognition Performance ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Systematic Investigation ◽  
Age Effects ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Effects Of Aging

Abstract Objective The Face-Name Associative Memory test (FNAME) has recently received attention as a test for early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. So far, however, there has been no systematic investigation of the effects of aging. Here, we aimed to assess the extent to which the FNAME performance is modulated by normal ageing. Method In a first step, we adapted the FNAME material to the Dutch population. In a second step, younger (n = 29) and older adults (n = 29) were compared on recall and recognition performance. Results Significant age effects on name recall were observed after the first exposure of new face-name pairs: younger adults remembered eight, whereas older adults remembered a mean of four out of twelve names. Although both age groups increased the number of recalled names with repeated face-name exposure, older adults did not catch up with the performance of the younger adults, and the age-effects remained stable. Despite of that, both age groups maintained their performance after a 30-min delay. Considering recognition, no age differences were demonstrated, and both age groups succeeded in the recognition of previously shown faces and names when presented along with distractors. Conclusions This study presents for the first time the results of different age groups regarding cross-modal associative memory performance on the FNAME. The recall age effects support the hypothesis of age-related differences in associative memory. To use the FNAME as an early cognitive biomarker, further subscales are suggested to increase sensitivity and specificity in the clinical context.

Receptive Vocabulary, Cognitive Flexibility, and Inhibitory Control Differentially Predict Older and Younger Adults' Success Perceiving Speech by Talkers With Dysarthria

2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (12) ◽  
pp. 3632-3641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin M. Ingvalson ◽  
Kaitlin L. Lansford ◽  
Valeriya Fedorova ◽  
Gabriel Fernandez
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Executive Control ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Control Functions ◽  
Hearing Acuity ◽  
Dysarthric Speech ◽  
Intelligibility Ratings

Purpose Previous research has demonstrated equivocal findings related to the effect of listener age on intelligibility ratings of dysarthric speech. The aim of the present study was to investigate the mechanisms that support younger and older adults' perception of speech by talkers with dysarthria. Method Younger and older adults identified words in phrases produced by talkers with dysarthria. Listeners also completed assessments on peripheral hearing, receptive vocabulary, and executive control functions. Results Older and younger adults did not differ in their ability to perceive speech by talkers with dysarthria. Younger adults' success in identifying words produced by talkers with dysarthria was associated only with their hearing acuity. In contrast, older adults showed effects of working memory and cognitive flexibility and interactions between hearing acuity and receptive vocabulary and between hearing acuity and inhibitory control. Conclusions Although older and younger adults had equivalent performance identifying words produced by talkers with dysarthria, older adults appear to utilize more cognitive support to identify those words.

scholarly journals Cognitive consequences of trilingualism

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 754-773 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott R Schroeder ◽  
Viorica Marian
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Reserve ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
Infants And Toddlers ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Third Language ◽  
Cognitive Plasticity ◽  
Cognitive Consequences

Aims and objectives: The objectives of the present research were to examine the cognitive consequences of trilingualism and explain them relative to the cognitive consequences of bilingualism. Approach: A comparison of cognitive abilities in trilinguals and bilinguals was conducted. In addition, we proposed a cognitive plasticity framework to account for cognitive differences and similarities between trilinguals and bilinguals. Data and analysis: Three aspects of cognition were analyzed: (1) cognitive reserve in older adults, as measured by age of onset of Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment; (2) inhibitory control in children and younger adults, as measured by response times on behavioral Simon and flanker tasks; and (3) memory generalization in infants and toddlers, as measured by accuracy on behavioral deferred imitation tasks. Results were considered within a framework of cognitive plasticity, which took into account several factors that may affect plasticity including the age of learning a third language and the extent to which additional cognitive resources are needed to learn the third language. Findings: A mixed pattern of results was observed. In some cases, such as cognitive reserve in older adults, trilinguals showed larger advantages than did bilinguals. On other measures, for example inhibitory control in children and younger adults, trilinguals were found to exhibit the same advantages as bilinguals. In still other cases, such as memory generalization in infants and toddlers, trilinguals did not demonstrate the advantages seen in bilinguals. Originality: This study is the first comprehensive analysis of how learning a third language affects the cognitive abilities that are modified by bilingual experience, and the first to propose a cognitive plasticity framework that can explain and predict trilingual-bilingual differences. Significance: This research shows that the cognitive consequences of trilingualism are not simply an extension of bilingualism’s effects; rather, trilingualism has distinct consequences, with theoretical implications for our understanding of linguistic and cognitive processes and their plasticity, as well as applied-science implications for using second and third language learning in educational and rehabilitative contexts to foster successful cognitive development and aging.

scholarly journals Association of depression and diabetes mellitus with processing speed, inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility in older adults with mild cognitive impairment

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (S6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mônica Vieira Costa ◽  
Jonas Jardim de Paula ◽  
Rafaela Ávila ◽  
Lívia Rabelo Pires ◽  
Marco Túlio Cintra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Processing Speed

scholarly journals The Effect of Stimulus Valence on Lexical Retrieval in Younger and Older Adults

2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (7) ◽  
pp. 2081-2089 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deena Schwen Blackett ◽  
Stacy M. Harnish ◽  
Jennifer P. Lundine ◽  
Alexandra Zezinka ◽  
Eric W. Healy
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Naming Latency ◽  
Emotional Valence ◽  
Lexical Retrieval ◽  
Emotional Stimuli ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Attentional Resources ◽  
Negative Images ◽  
Naming Latencies

Purpose Although there is evidence that emotional valence of stimuli impacts lexical processes, there is limited work investigating its specific impact on lexical retrieval. The current study aimed to determine the degree to which emotional valence of pictured stimuli impacts naming latencies in healthy younger and older adults. Method Eighteen healthy younger adults and 18 healthy older adults named positive, negative, and neutral images, and reaction time was measured. Results Reaction times for positive and negative images were significantly longer than reaction times for neutral images. Reaction times for positive and negative images were not significantly different. Whereas older adults demonstrated significantly longer naming latencies overall than younger adults, the discrepancy in latency with age was far greater when naming emotional pictures. Conclusions Emotional arousal of pictures appears to impact naming latency in younger and older adults. We hypothesize that the increase in naming latency for emotional stimuli is the result of a necessary disengagement of attentional resources from the emotional images prior to completion of the naming task. We propose that this process may affect older adults disproportionately due to a decline in attentional resources as part of normal aging, combined with a greater attentional preference for emotional stimuli.

scholarly journals Evidence against preserved syntactic comprehension in healthy aging

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Poulisse ◽  
Linda Wheeldon ◽  
Katrien Segaert
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Semantic Processing ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Semantic Information ◽  
Syntactic Processing ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Processing Abilities ◽  
Speed And Accuracy

AbstractWe investigated age-related differences in syntactic comprehension in young and older adults. Most previous research found no evidence of age-related decline in syntactic processing. We investigated elementary syntactic comprehension of minimal sentences (e.g. I cook), minimizing the influence of working memory. We also investigated the contribution of semantic processing by comparing sentences containing real verbs (e.g. I cook) versus pseudoverbs (e.g. I spuff). We measured the speed and accuracy of detecting syntactic agreement errors (e.g. I cooks, I spuffs). We found that older adults were slower and less accurate than younger adults in detecting syntactic agreement errors for both real and pseudoverb sentences, suggesting there is age-related decline in syntactic comprehension. The age-related decline in accuracy was smaller for the pseudoverb sentences, and the decline in speed was larger for the pseudoverb sentences, compared to real verb sentences. We suggest that syntactic comprehension decline is stronger in the absence of semantic information, which causes older adults to produce slower responses in order to make more accurate decisions. In line with these findings, performance for older adults was positively related to a measure of processing speed capacity. Taken together, we found evidence that elementary syntactic processing abilities decline in healthy ageing.

scholarly journals Spontaneous Alpha and Theta Oscillations Are Related to Complementary Aspects of Cognitive Control in Younger and Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace M. Clements ◽  
Daniel C. Bowie ◽  
Mate Gyurkovics ◽  
Kathy A. Low ◽  
Monica Fabiani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Flanker Task ◽  
Alpha Power ◽  
Proactive Control ◽  
Reactive Control ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Task Sets ◽  
Task Representations

The resting-state human electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectrum is dominated by alpha (8–12 Hz) and theta (4–8 Hz) oscillations, and also includes non-oscillatory broadband activity inversely related to frequency (1/f activity). Gratton proposed that alpha and theta oscillations are both related to cognitive control function, though in a complementary manner. Alpha activity is hypothesized to facilitate the maintenance of representations, such as task sets in preparation for expected task conditions. In contrast, theta activity would facilitate changes in representations, such as the updating of task sets in response to unpredicted task demands. Therefore, theta should be related to reactive control (which may prompt changes in task representations), while alpha may be more relevant to proactive control (which implies the maintenance of current task representations). Less is known about the possible relationship between 1/f activity and cognitive control, which was analyzed here in an exploratory fashion. To investigate these hypothesized relationships, we recorded eyes-open and eyes-closed resting-state EEG from younger and older adults and subsequently tested their performance on a cued flanker task, expected to elicit both proactive and reactive control processes. Results showed that alpha power and 1/f offset were smaller in older than younger adults, whereas theta power did not show age-related reductions. Resting alpha power and 1/f offset were associated with proactive control processes, whereas theta power was related to reactive control as measured by the cued flanker task. All associations were present over and above the effect of age, suggesting that these resting-state EEG correlates could be indicative of trait-like individual differences in cognitive control performance, which may be already evident in younger adults, and are still similarly present in healthy older adults.

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