Abstract
According to the inhibition deficit hypothesis, the ability to inhibit unwanted or irrelevant thoughts and behaviors decreases with age, which can have a significant impact on cognitive and emotional processing. However, studies examining inhibition and age have shown mixed results, with some studies finding a decrease in inhibitory control as individuals age, while others have found no relationship. The goal of this proof-of-concept study was to examine the underlying neural mechanisms that may explain why some older adults are better than others at inhibitory control by investigating the relationship between resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of the salience network, a network critical for detecting and focusing attention toward relevant stimuli while ignoring irrelevant information in the environment, and a behavioral measure of inhibitory control (Stroop Task interference score) in a sample of 65 healthy older individuals (ages 65+). Results revealed no direct effect of age on Stroop performance; however, there was an indirect effect of age on Stroop performance through rsFC. These results suggest that rsFC of the salience network may be an important factor to consider when it comes to understanding individual differences in inhibitory control behavior among older adults.
Highlights
Normal aging influences many cognitive functions including attention, information processing, working memory, and inhibitory control (Damoiseaux et al, 2007)
We investigated the relationships between our three main variables of interest: age, Fisher z-transformed resting-state functional connectivity, and Stroop Calculated Interference score (Stroop)
We see that while resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) was not significantly correlated with Age or Stroop performance when correcting for multiple comparisons, it did provide a significant indirect effect on the predictive value of age on Stroop
Summary
Normal aging influences many cognitive functions including attention, information processing, working memory, and inhibitory control (Damoiseaux et al, 2007). Inefficient inhibitory control can lead to a compromised selective attention system, resulting in an intrusion of information into working memory that is not necessarily relevant for current tasks. These intrusions increase processing time and decrease recognition of relevant information (Kramer et al, 1994). The age-related inhibition deficit hypothesis states that the ability to inhibit unwanted or irrelevant thoughts and behaviors decreases as individuals age (Hasher and Zacks, 1988). Studies of this hypothesis have shown mixed results.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
