Attentional training in elderly subjects affects voluntarily oriented, but not automatic attention: a neurophysiological study.
OBJECTIVE
Our study aimed at investigating the effect of repetitive recordings on somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) related to spatial attention in a population of healthy elderly subjects.


METHODS
Fifteen healthy elderly subjects were tested for six consecutive days using a somatosensory oddball paradigm, in which target stimuli were applied above the elbow and the non-target stimuli on the ipsilateral shoulder. Brain electrical activity was recorded from six scalp electrodes (Fz, Cz, F3, F4, T3 and T4).


RESULTS
The N140 response to target stimuli showed a significantly decreased amplitude across the sessions with the lowest value during the fourth day of recording and with a partial recovery at the sixth day. On the contrary, the amplitude of the N140 response to non-target stimuli and that of the P300 potential to target stimuli were not significantly modified.


CONCLUSIONS
The significant amplitude reduction of the N140 potential in target, but not in non-target recordings across sessions, suggests that the voluntarily oriented attention is reduced by stimulus repetition, while the automatic attention is not.
Le Pera
Domenica
D
Department of Motor Rehabilitation, Casa di Cura San Raffaele Pisana, IRCCS, via della Pisana 235, 00163 Rome, Italy. dlepera@tiscali.it
Ranghi
Francesca
F
De Armas
Liala
L
Valeriani
Massimiliano
M
Giaquinto
Salvatore
S
D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013663:Teaching; D013997:Time Factors