title: The impact of attentional training on event-related potentials in older adults.
abstract: Attentional control declines in older adults and is paralleled by changes in event-related brain potentials (ERPs). The N200 is associated with attentional control, thus training-related improvements in attentional control should be paralleled by enhancements to the N200. Older participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups, which focused on training different levels of attentional control: (1) single-task training (single), where participants trained on 2 tasks in isolation; (2) fixed divided attention training (fixed), where participants trained on 2 tasks simultaneously; and (3) variable divided attention training (variable), where participants trained on 2 tasks simultaneously but were instructed to alternatively prioritize each of the 2 tasks. After training, the amplitude of the N200 wave increased in dual-task conditions for the variable group, and this enhancement was correlated with improved dual-task performance. Participants in the variable group also had the greatest improvement in the ability to modulate their allocation of attention in accordance with task instructions to the less salient and less complex of the 2 tasks. Training older adults to modulate their division of attention between tasks improves neural functions associated with attentional control of the trained tasks.
authors: Division of Community Health and Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Health Sciences Centre, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada; Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), Montréal, Québec, Canada. Electronic address: bzendel@mun.ca.
authors: Benjamin Rich
authors: BR
authors: Zendel
authors: Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors: Chloé
authors: C
authors: de Boysson
authors: Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors: Samira
authors: S
authors: Mellah
authors: Département Neurosciences Clinique, Centre Leenaards de la Mémoire, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors: Jean-François
authors: JF
authors: Démonet
authors: Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), Montréal, Québec, Canada; Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, Pavillon Marie-Victorin, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors: Sylvie
authors: S
authors: Belleville
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
keywords: Aging; Attention; Attentional control; Event-related potentials; N200; Training