Progressive age-related changes in the attentional blink paradigm.
Previous studies on aging and attention typically examine group differences between younger and older adults, rather than seeing aging as a continuous process. Using correlational analyses, this study examined progressive changes in the magnitude of the attentional blink (AB) associated with aging. Increased age was found to be significantly associated with the ability to detect the second target (T2), whereby older age was correlated with the production of a longer and more pronounced AB; this supports the proposition that aging is associated with reduced inhibitory processes and selective attention. It was also found that AB performance somewhat improves between ages 18-39 years, but tends to decline from 40 years of age onward, providing an interesting and novel finding that AB effects may become more sensitive at this point in time. The AB task may prove useful in the assessment of selective attention in normal healthy adults, as well as changes associated with pathological aging.
Georgiou-Karistianis
Nellie
N
Experimental Neuropsychology Research Unit, Department of Psychology, School of Psychology, Monash University, Victoria, Australia. nellie.georgiou-karistianis@med.monash.edu.au
Tang
Judy
J
Vardy
Yvette
Y
Sheppard
Dianne
D
Evans
Natalie
N
Wilson
Michelle
M
Gardner
Betina
B
Farrow
Maree
M
Bradshaw
John
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001767:Blinking / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012044:Regression Analysis