title: The effects of aging on the working memory processes of multimodal information.
abstract: Normal aging is associated with deficits in working memory processes. However, the majority of research has focused on storage or inhibitory processes using unimodal paradigms, without addressing their relationships using different sensory modalities. Hence, we pursued two objectives. First, was to examine the effects of aging on storage and inhibitory processes. Second, was to evaluate aging effects on multisensory integration of visual and auditory stimuli. To this end, young and older participants performed a multimodal task for visual and auditory pairs of stimuli with increasing memory load at encoding and interference during retention. Our results showed an age-related increased vulnerability to interrupting and distracting interference reflecting inhibitory deficits related to the off-line reactivation and on-line suppression of relevant and irrelevant information, respectively. Storage capacity was impaired with increasing task demands in both age groups. Additionally, older adults showed a deficit in multisensory integration, with poorer performance for new visual compared to new auditory information.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Basic Psychology , University Autónoma of Madrid , Madrid , Spain.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Solesio-Jofre
authors.affiliation: a Department of Basic Psychology , University Autónoma of Madrid , Madrid , Spain.
authors.forename: José María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: López-Frutos
authors.affiliation: b Centro Interdipartimentale Mente/Cervello (CIMeC) - Università degli Studi di Trento , Trento , Italy.
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cashdollar
authors.affiliation: c Laboratory for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience. Centre for Biomedical Technology , Madrid University of Technology/Complutense University of Madrid , Madrid , Spain.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aurtenetxe
authors.affiliation: c Laboratory for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience. Centre for Biomedical Technology , Madrid University of Technology/Complutense University of Madrid , Madrid , Spain.
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: de Ramón
authors.affiliation: c Laboratory for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience. Centre for Biomedical Technology , Madrid University of Technology/Complutense University of Madrid , Madrid , Spain.|d Department of Basic Psychology II (Cognitive Processes) , Complutense University of Madrid , Madrid , Spain.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Maestú
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention; D001307:Auditory Perception; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D046709:Pattern Recognition, Physiological; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D014796:Visual Perception; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Normal aging; distraction; interruption; multisensory integration; working memory