Delvenne, J-F. orcid.org/0000-0002-1990-9738 (2024) Reduced Interhemispheric Transfer in Older Adults: Evidence From a Divided Visual Field One-Back Task. Psychology and Aging, 39 (7). pp. 781-791. ISSN 0882-7974
Abstract
One of the pivotal structural changes observed in the ageing brain pertains to the corpus callosum, the largest neural pathway interconnecting the two cerebral hemispheres. Studies have highlighted the degeneration of the corpus callosum, particularly in its anterior segments, as individuals age. This prompts an essential question regarding the potential functional repercussions of these structural changes on interhemispheric communication among older adults. Two experiments were conducted to explore potential compromises in the interhemispheric transfer of visual working memory (VWM) in older adults. Both young individuals (aged 18–28 years) and healthy older adults (aged 65–85 years) engaged in modified versions of the one-back paradigm. In this task, stimuli were sequentially presented in either the left or right hemifield, and participants indicated whether each stimulus matched the preceding one. Notably, when two stimuli are matched, they could appear either in the same hemifield or in opposite hemifields. The results revealed that, in comparison to young adults, older adults demonstrated a significant increase in matching errors when the two stimuli were presented in opposite hemifields rather than the same hemifield. This new finding strongly suggests a reduced interhemispheric transfer of VWM in older adults, potentially attributed to age-related atrophy in the anterior part of the corpus callosum.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
Keywords: | visual working memory, cognitive aging, older adults, interhemispheric transfer |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Medicine and Health (Leeds) > School of Psychology (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 11 Jun 2024 09:36 |
Last Modified: | 04 Dec 2024 16:17 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | American Psychological Association |
Identification Number: | 10.1037/pag0000838 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:213246 |