The aim of this study was to investigate whether resolution of conflict in different domains is affected by normal aging and whether factors such as cognitive reserve, years of education and intelligence compensate for age-related deficits. Two experiments with partially overlapping samples, both including non-demented older adults (65-79 years old, N=23 and 17) and younger controls (18-34 years old, N=22 and 18), performed verbal and spatial Stroop tasks with no feature repetitions to minimize priming-related effects. Moreover, Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and Cognitive Reserve (CR) were assessed. Older adults were impaired in verbal interference resolution (Stroop effect), but their verbal Stroop effect negatively correlated with verbal IQ. Moreover older adults’ general performance speed was correlated with education and CR. Conversely, spatial interference resolution did not significantly differ between age groups. Nonetheless, we found that CR correlated with various aspects of task performance in the spatial domain: general accuracy and conflict resolution in both speed and accuracy. Our results are compatible with a compensatory role of IQ, CR and education on age-related deficits in information processing and conflict resolution. The nature and extent of this compensatory influence partially changes according to the domain.
Age-related conflict resolution deficit: compensatory roles of intelligence, cognitive reserve and education
VALLESI, ANTONINO
2012
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate whether resolution of conflict in different domains is affected by normal aging and whether factors such as cognitive reserve, years of education and intelligence compensate for age-related deficits. Two experiments with partially overlapping samples, both including non-demented older adults (65-79 years old, N=23 and 17) and younger controls (18-34 years old, N=22 and 18), performed verbal and spatial Stroop tasks with no feature repetitions to minimize priming-related effects. Moreover, Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and Cognitive Reserve (CR) were assessed. Older adults were impaired in verbal interference resolution (Stroop effect), but their verbal Stroop effect negatively correlated with verbal IQ. Moreover older adults’ general performance speed was correlated with education and CR. Conversely, spatial interference resolution did not significantly differ between age groups. Nonetheless, we found that CR correlated with various aspects of task performance in the spatial domain: general accuracy and conflict resolution in both speed and accuracy. Our results are compatible with a compensatory role of IQ, CR and education on age-related deficits in information processing and conflict resolution. The nature and extent of this compensatory influence partially changes according to the domain.
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