Selective attention IIII

How is selective attention related to ageing

• Our ability to select and prioritise information depends upon sensory systems, knowledge and memory capacity

• This perception and cognition changes across a life span

Selective attention and development (Enns and Brodeur, 1989)

• Investigated covert attention in observers aged 6,8 and 20 years

• Used peripheral cues

• Cue location was predictive (80%) of target or unpredictable (random)

Correlation between selective attention and development

• Reaction time to stimuli decreased with age

• Costs associated with invalid cues decreased with age

• Reaction times for adults are faster to targets at valid locations for predictable but not unpredictable cues

• Reaction time for children comparable to predictable and unpredictable cues

Selective attention and development (Konrad et al 2005)

• Used fMRI to compare brain activation in children 8-12 years and adults 20-34 years during different components of attention

• Alerting, reorienting and executive attention

Results of Konrad et al 2005

• Children showed a smaller alerting effect

• Children showed a significantly larger invalid cost

• Children showed a significantly larger interference effect

• Children are less efficient at dealing with competition associated attention

Brain regions associated with alerting in adults vs children

• Adults > children

• Right cingulate gyrus

Brain regions associated with reorienting in adults vs children

• Adults > children

• Right inferior frontal gyrus

• Right temporo -parietal cortex

How are behavioural and fMRI data consistent

• Consistent with fractionation of attentional processes

• Activation in response to alerting, orienting and executive attention in adults evidence top down modulation via frontoparietal attentional network

What is FPAN

Frontoparietal attention network

What physiological changes are associated with selective attention and ageing

• Physiological changes reduce the acuity of sensory receptors eg presbycusis and presbyopia

• Ageing is associated with physiological and cognitive changes

What cognitive changes are associated with selective attention and ageing

• Chrystallised abilities, knowledge and vocabulary

• Fluid abilities, ability to process and solve problems eg processing speed and memory (Murman, 2015)

How does sensory acuity affect attention

• Changes in sensory acuity and cognition affect attention

• Visual search for conjunction but not feature targets decline in older observers

• Contributes to a deficit in top down prioritisation of relevant features

What is SSVEP

• Steady state visual evoked potential

• Measures top down enhancement and suppression of task relevant/irrelevant stimuli over time