Skip to main content
Log in

Attention and aging

  • Original Articles
  • Published:
Aging Clinical and Experimental Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background and aims: Aging is a condition characterized by a general decline in many types of physical and psychological performance, but its effects on various cognitive functions are still controversial. When viewed along a time-course, several abilities clearly differ in their stability or decline with aging. Among psychological functioning in the elderly, changes in attention are not fully understood. The aim of our research was to analyze attentive performance in a sample of subjects aged 55–65, evaluating various aspects of attentive functioning with respect to the gender variable and to verify if aging affects all attentive functions equally. Methods: The sample included 80 subjects (44 men, 36 women) of 55–65 years of age. Attentional abilities were evaluated by means of multitask computerized assessment. The test involved seven tasks assessing simple reaction times and choice reaction times, visual, visual-spatial and auditory selectivity, digit span, divided attention, resistance to distraction, and attentive shifting. Results: Significant differences related to gender were found in attention shifting. To test possible decline in attentive function with age, performances among two age groups (55–59 and 60–65 yrs) were compared. Significant differences were shown in simple immediate attention span, selectivity, capacity to inhibit interference of non-pertinent signals, and attentive shifting. Conclusions: This study demonstrates an age-related reduction in attentive efficiency but, notably, this decline does not involve all components of attention. Subjects over 60 years of age show progressive slowing in processing of complex tasks and a reduced capacity to inhibit irrelevant stimuli.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Lezak MD. Neuropsychological assessment. Oxford NY: Oxford University Press, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  2. De Ribaupierre A, Poget L, Pons F. The age variable in cognitive developmental psychology. In Sauvin-Dugerdil C, Leridon H, Mascie-Taylor N, eds. Human Clocks: the Bio-Cultural Meanings of Age. New York, NY: Peter Lang Publishing, 2006: pp. 101–123.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Lindley CJ. Who is the older person? In Hunt T, Lindley CJ, eds. Testing Older Adults: A Reference Guide for Geropsychological Assessments. Austin TX: Pro-editor, 1989.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Benton AL, Sivan AB. Problems and conceptual issues in neuropsychological research in aging and dementia. J Clin Neuropsychol 1984; 6: 57–64.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Horn JL, Cattell RB. Refinement and test of the theory of fluid and crystallized ability intelligences. J Educ Psychol 1966; 57: 253–70.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Kaufman AS, Reynolds CR, Mc Lean JE. Age and WAIS-R intelligence in a national sample of adults in the 20 to 74 year age range: a cross-sectional analysis with educational level controlled. Intelligence 1989; 13: 235–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Cerella J, Ribash JM, Hoyer W, Commons ML. Adult Information Processing: Limits on Loss. San Diego CA: Academic Press, 1983.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Mahurin RK, Inbody SB. Psychomotor assessment of the older patient. In Pirozzolo FJ, ed. Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, Vol. 5. Philadelphia PA: Saunders, 1989: 843–4.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Hultch DF, Dixon RA. Learning and memory in aging. In Birren JE, Schaie KW, eds. Handbook of the Psychology of Aging. New York: Academic Press, 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  10. West RL. Everyday memory and aging. Develop. Neuropsychol 1986; 2: 323–44.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Craick FIM. Memory functions in normal aging. In Yanagihara T, Petersen RC, eds. Memory Disorders: Research and Clinical Practice. NewYork: Marcel Dekker, 1991: 347–67.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Craick FIM. Age differences in human memory. In Birren JE, Schaie KW, eds. Handbook of the Psychology of Aging. New York: Academic Press, 1977: 75–92.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Sternberg RJ. Cognitive Psychology. Holt: Rinehart and Winston, 1996.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Howieson DB, Lezak MD. Separating memory from other cognitive problems. In Baddeley A, Wilson BA, eds. Handbook of Memory Disorders. Chichester, Sussex, England: John Wiley and Sons, 1994: 657–662.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Johnston W, Dark VJ. Selective attention. Ann Rev Psychol 1986; 37: 43–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Sheer DE, Schrock B. Attention. In Hannay HJ, Ed. Experimental Techniques in Human Neuropsychology. Oxford, NY: University Press, 1986: 94–137.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Sohlberg MM, Mateer CA. Introduction to Cognitive Rehabilitation. New York: Guildford Press, 1989.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Stuus DT, Stethem, LL, Hugenholtz, H. Reaction Time after head injury: fatigue, divided and focused attention and consistency of performance. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1989; 52: 742–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Sack SA, Rice CE. Selectivity, resistance to distraction and shifting as three attentional factors. Psychol Rep 1974; 34: 1003–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Hale GA, Lewis M, eds. Attention and Cognitive Development. New York: Plenum, 1979.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Commodari E, Guarnera M. Attention and reading skills. Percept Motor Skills 2005; 100: 375–86.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Sternberg RJ, Berg AD. Intellectual Development. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Salthouse TA. Influence of working memory on adult age differences in matrix reasoning. Brit J Psych 1993; 84: 171–99.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Brittain JL, La Marche JA, Reeder KP. The effects of age and IQ on Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task (PASAT) performance. Clin Neuropsychol 1991; 5: 163–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Roman DD, Edwall GE, Buchanan RG, Patton JH. Extended norms for the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task. Clin Neuropsychol 1991; 5: 33–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Hochanadel G, Kaplan E. Neuropsychology of normal aging. In Albert ML, ed. Clinical Neurology of Aging. Oxford, NY: Oxford University Press, 1984: 231–44.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Mc Dowd JM, Birren JE. Aging and attentional processes. In Birren JE, Schaie KW, eds. Handbook of the Psychology of Aging. New York: Academic Press, 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Parasuraman R, Nestor P, Greenwood P. Sustained-attention capacity in young and older adults. Psychol Aging 1989; 4: 339–45.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Hartley A. Evidence for selective preservation of spatial selective attention in old age. Psychol Aging 1993; 10: 339–45.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Spinnler H, Tognoni S. Standardizzazione e taratura italiana di test neuropsicologici. It J Neurol Sci 1987; 6: 71–95.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Czigler I, Csibra G, Ambrò A. Age and information processing: event-related potential studies. Eur Psychol 1997; 2: 247–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Madden D, Turkington T, Provenzale J et al. Aging and attentional guidance during visual search: functional neuroanatomy by positron emission tomography. Psychology 2002; 17: 24–43.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Greenwood P, Parasuraman R. The scaling of spatial attention in visual search and its modification in healthy aging. Percept Psychophys 2004; 66: 3–22.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. West R. The effects of aging on controlled attention and conflict processing in the Stroop task. J Cogn Neurosci 2004; 16: 103–13.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Coltheart M, Hull E, Slater D. Sex differences in imagery and reading. Science 1975; 253: 438–40.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Schaie KW. The course of adult intellectual development. Am Psychol 1994; 49: 304–13.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Snow WG, Weinstock J. Sex differences among non-brain damaged adults on the Wechseler Adult Intelligence Scales: a review of the literature. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 1990; 12: 873–86.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Milner B. Interhemispheric differences in the localization of psychological processes in man. B Med Bull 1971; 27: 272–7.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Mittenberg W, Seidenberg M, O’Leary DS, Di Giulio DV. Changes in cerebral functioning associated with normal aging. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 1989; 11: 918–32.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Ivnik RJ, Malec JF, Smith GE, et al. Mayo’s older Americans normative studies: WAIS-R norms for ages 56–97. Clin Neuropsychol 1992; 6: 1–30.

    Google Scholar 

  41. Kauffmann AS, Mc Lean JE, Raynolds CR. Sex, race, residence, region, and education differences on the 11 WISC-R subtests. J Clin Psychol 1988; 44: 231–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Schear JM, Sato SD. Effects of visual acuity and visual motor speed and dexterity on cognitive test performance. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 1989; 4: 25–32.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Mc Leod C. Half a century of research on the Stroop effect: an integrative review. Psychol Bull 1991; 109: 163–203.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. De Frias C, Nilsson, LG, Herlitz A. Sex differences in declarative memory and visual spatial ability are robust in cross-sectional studies. Aging neuropsychol Cogn 2006; 13: 574–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Aartsen M, Martin M, Zimprich D. Gender differences in level and change in cognitive functioning: results from the longitudinal aging study Amsterdam. Gerontology 2004; 50: 35–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Di Nuovo S. Attenzione e concentrazione. Trento: Erickson, 2004.

    Google Scholar 

  47. Mayr U, Klieg R. Sequential and coordinative complexity: aged based processing in figurai transformations. J Exp Psychol 1993; 19: 1297–320.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Craik FIM. Changes in memory with normal aging: A functional view. In Wurtman RJ et al, eds. Advances in Neurology, vol. 51, Alzheimer’s disease. New York: Raven Press. 1990: 201–5.

    Google Scholar 

  49. Jarvik LF. Aging of the brain: how can we prevent it? Gerontologist 1988; 28: 739–47.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elena Commodari.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Commodari, E., Guarnera, M. Attention and aging. Aging Clin Exp Res 20, 578–584 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324887

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324887

Keywords

Navigation