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Updated: Jun 24, 2026
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A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions
Published on: July 16, 2015
Age-related differences in alpha power for distractor inhibition during visual working memory
Sabrina Sghirripa1,2,3, Lynton Graetz4,5, John G Semmler6
1Australian Institute for Machine Learning, School of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, Adelaide University, Adelaide, SA, Australia. sabrina.sghirripa@adelaide.edu.au.
Scientific Reports
|June 22, 2026
Summary
Older adults show greater susceptibility to visual distractions during working memory tasks. This is linked to age-related differences in alpha oscillations, which are crucial for ignoring irrelevant information.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Human Aging Research
Background:
- Working memory (WM) capacity is limited, necessitating neural resource allocation to relevant information and away from distractors.
- Alpha oscillations (8-12 Hz) are linked to distractor inhibition in younger adults, but their role in older adults remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related differences in alpha oscillation activity during distractor inhibition in visual working memory.
- To examine how distractor strength affects working memory performance and neural activity across different age groups.
Main Methods:
- Electroencephalography (EEG) was used to record brain activity in 24 younger and 24 older adults.
- Participants completed a modified delay match-to-sample task with distractors of varying strengths during the retention period.
Main Results:
- Older adults were more impaired by weak distractors than younger adults.
- Younger adults showed increased alpha power during retention, while older adults did not.
- Both groups reduced alpha power anticipating distractors, but younger adults showed stronger modulation based on distractor strength.
Conclusions:
- Age-related differences exist in working memory retention strategies and anticipatory distractor processing.
- These differences may explain why older adults are more vulnerable to visual distractions during working memory tasks.
