[Attentional neural networks impairment in healthy aging]

Diverse evidences have shown that the process of natural aging causes a decline in different cognitive functions, including among them the attentional process.

To determine how the healthy aging affects to the different attentional networks.

Two groups: young subjects (32.5 ± 9.7 years) and an elderly group (62.7 ± 4.7 years). As instrument to evaluate the attention process the ANT (Attention Network Test) was used.

Highly significant differences were observed for all conditions involved in the ANT (no cue, center cue, spatial cue, congruent and incongruent) between both groups (p < 0.001). As for the analysis of network effects, no one showed differences between the two groups. Considering the block variable, the post hoc analysis showed that the orienting network for the young subjects exhibited a normal benefit in the first block while the elderly group don't show that benefit caused by the deficiency using spatial cues. Moreover, the alerting network showed a bigger effect in the first block regarding the second one in the older adults and the opposed effect for the executive and orienting network was observed.

The obtained data show that a decrease exists in the speed processing in the elderly group. In the orienting network seems that the older adults require a bigger training period to use the spatial cues, although later on, they can benefit from the same cues almost at the same level that the young subjects.