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Updated: Aug 29, 2026

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions
Published on: July 16, 2015
An age-related deficit in prefrontal cortical function associated with refreshing information
Marcia K Johnson1, Karen J Mitchell, Carol L Raye
1Yale University, USA.
Abstract:
Older adults are slower than young adults to think of an item they just saw, that is, to engage or execute (or both) the simple reflective operation of refreshing just-activated information. In addition, they derive less long-term memory benefit from refreshing information. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we found that relative to young adults, older adults showed reduced refresh-related activity in an area of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (left middle frontal gyrus, Brodmann's Area 9), but not in other refresh-related areas. This provides strong evidence that a frontal component of the circuit that subserves this basic cognitive process is especially vulnerable to aging. Such a refresh deficit could contribute to poorer performance of older than young adults on a wide range of cognitive tasks.
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