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Effects of age on performance in a finger-precuing task
J J Adam1, F G Paas, J C Teeken
1Department of Movement Sciences, Maastricht University, The Netherlands. jos.adam@bw.unimaas.nl
Summary
Older adults show significant deficits in preparing to use two fingers on two hands, but not one hand, in a finger-precuing task. Advancing age also increasingly slows reaction time to inner stimulus-response positions.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human Aging Research
Background:
- The finger-precuing task assesses the ability to prepare responses based on spatial cues.
- Previous research suggests age-related declines in attention and motor preparation.
- Understanding age-related changes in precuing effects is crucial for cognitive aging research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related differences in precuing effects using the finger-precuing task.
- To examine whether age-related deficits in preparation are specific to the number of hands involved.
- To evaluate the implications of findings for theories of age-related attention system decline.
Main Methods:
- Participants performed a finger-precuing task involving spatial cues for finger responses.
- Reaction times were measured for different stimulus-response configurations.
- Performance was analyzed based on age groups and the number of hands required for response.
Main Results:
- A significant age-related deficit was observed in preparing to use two fingers on two hands.
- No significant age-related deficit was found when preparing to use fingers on only one hand.
- Reaction time slowed more with increasing age for inner stimulus-response positions compared to outer positions.
Conclusions:
- The findings challenge the hypothesis that age-related deficits primarily stem from compromised anterior brain attention systems for selection-for-action.
- Age-related performance decrements in motor preparation may be specific to tasks requiring bimanual coordination.
- A bowed stimulus-response compatibility effect, exacerbated by age, suggests potential age-related alterations in spatial processing or response selection mechanisms.