Publication Cover
Experimental Aging Research
An International Journal Devoted to the Scientific Study of the Aging Process
Volume 37, 2011 - Issue 2
143
Views
20
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Articles

Detecting Age Differences in Resistance to Perceptual and Motor Interference

, , &
Pages 179-197 | Received 26 Mar 2009, Accepted 21 Sep 2009, Published online: 18 Mar 2011
 

Abstract

The authors asked whether different forms of inhibition are altered differently by aging using a Motor and Perceptual Inhibition Test (MAPIT) based on Nassauer and Halperin (Nassauer & Halperin, Citation2003, Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 9, 25–30). Ninety-eight individuals participating in studies of balance and attention were separated into younger (mean age 25 years) and older (mean age 73) participants. Older participants showed less perceptual and motor inhibition than younger participants, with moderation of this effect by gender, that is, motor inhibition appeared to decline more sharply with age in women than in men. The two scores were uncorrelated in the young but significantly correlated in the older group. Overall, the MAPIT appeared to yield reliable measures of two aspects of inhibition that demonstrate a differential impact of age.

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of NIH AG10009, AG14116, and AG024827 for the research described and NIH DC05205 and The Pittsburgh Mind-Body Center (PMBC; NIH grants HL076852/076858) for personnel and instrumentation support.

Notes

Note. Data are mean and (standard deviation).

P(C) = percent correct; MI = motor inhibition; PI = perceptual inhibition; PFC = RT to the congruous items in the perceptual inhibition block relative to control RTs; PII = RT to the incongruous items in the perceptual inhibition block relative to control RTs.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.