Brain signals suggest weaker distraction filtering in older adults
In an observational comparison using a visual search task, only young adults showed significant brain signals associated with suppressing distractions.
Limit: Distraction filtering was inferred from brain signals despite similar behavioral use of ignore cues
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
Young and older adults completed a visual search task in an observational comparison of age groups while researchers recorded electrical brain signals. Before each search display, participants received a cue indicating what to look for, what to ignore, or neither. They then reported which way a target was oriented.
Both groups responded faster after cues matching the target. Their brain signals also indicated increased attention to the target. Only young adults showed a significant brain signal associated with suppressing distractions following all three cue types. Older adults showed no significant suppression signal in any condition. Instead, their signals indicated increased attention to distractions after ignore cues and neutral cues. The researchers concluded that neural evidence suggested older adults were less able to suppress distractions following ignore cues.
Why it matters
The study addresses whether maintaining task performance with age also means maintaining the same attention processes.
Caveats
This age-group comparison cannot establish that aging caused the differences, and the findings concern a laboratory task. The abstract does not report sample sizes or age ranges.
