Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 28, 2026
06:46
Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity
Published on: March 18, 2019
8.8K
Selective Age Effects on Visual Attention and Motor Attention during a Cued Saccade Task
Wendy E Huddleston1, Brad E Ernest1, Kevin G Keenan1
1Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, PT-PAV 350, P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0413, USA.
Journal of Ophthalmology
|June 6, 2014
Summary
Older adults struggle with visual-motor tasks, showing impaired attention and eye movement control. This suggests a need to re-evaluate attentional strategies as people age to maintain independence.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Human Factors
Background:
- Visual information guides movement, but older adults exhibit deficits.
- These deficits increase injury risk and reduce independence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how aging selectively impacts visual and motor attention.
- To analyze contributions to a cued saccade task in younger and older adults.
Main Methods:
- Nineteen young and 20 older adults performed a cued saccade task.
- Motor attention was challenged by varying the number of saccade targets (1 or 6).
Main Results:
- Older adults showed impaired inhibition of unwanted eye movements.
- Eye movement inaccuracy was higher in older adults under challenging conditions.
- An inverse relationship between visual and motor attention performance was observed in older adults.
Conclusions:
- Older adults struggle with inhibiting saccade targets and selecting endpoints in complex tasks.
- Aging may necessitate prioritizing attentional resources.
- These attentional changes can affect functional abilities in complex environments.
