Impaired motor inhibition during perceptual inhibition in older, but not younger adults: a psychophysiological study
Abstract The prefrontal cortex (PFC) governs the ability to rapidly cancel planned movements when no longer appropriate (motor inhibition) and ignore distracting stimuli (perceptual inhibition). It is unclear to what extent these processes interact, and how they are impacted by age. The interplay be...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52269-z |
| _version_ | 1827329255100383232 |
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| author | Rebecca Healey Megan Goldsworthy Sauro Salomoni Simon Weber Sarah Kemp Mark R. Hinder Rebecca J. St George |
| author_facet | Rebecca Healey Megan Goldsworthy Sauro Salomoni Simon Weber Sarah Kemp Mark R. Hinder Rebecca J. St George |
| author_sort | Rebecca Healey |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The prefrontal cortex (PFC) governs the ability to rapidly cancel planned movements when no longer appropriate (motor inhibition) and ignore distracting stimuli (perceptual inhibition). It is unclear to what extent these processes interact, and how they are impacted by age. The interplay between perceptual and motor inhibition was investigated using a Flanker Task, a Stop Signal Task and a combined Stop Signal Flanker Task in healthy young (n = 33, Mean = 24 years) and older adults (n = 32, Mean = 71 years). PFC activity was measured with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), while electromyography (EMG) measured muscle activity in the fingers used to respond to the visual cues. Perceptual inhibition (the degree to which incongruent flankers slowed response time to a central cue) and motor inhibition (the speed of cancellation of EMG activation following stop cues) independently declined with age. When both processes were engaged together, PFC activity increased for both age groups, however only older adults exhibited slower motor inhibition. The results indicate that cortical upregulation was sufficient to compensate for the increased task demands in younger but not older adults, suggesting potential resource sharing and neural limitations particularly in older adults. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:31:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f44a6b33ac3c4feab3f74e273b6cef1b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:31:14Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-f44a6b33ac3c4feab3f74e273b6cef1b2024-03-05T16:27:13ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-01-0114111410.1038/s41598-024-52269-zImpaired motor inhibition during perceptual inhibition in older, but not younger adults: a psychophysiological studyRebecca Healey0Megan Goldsworthy1Sauro Salomoni2Simon Weber3Sarah Kemp4Mark R. Hinder5Rebecca J. St George6Sensorimotor Neuroscience and Ageing Research Laboratory, School of Psychological Sciences, College of Health and Medicine, University of TasmaniaSensorimotor Neuroscience and Ageing Research Laboratory, School of Psychological Sciences, College of Health and Medicine, University of TasmaniaSensorimotor Neuroscience and Ageing Research Laboratory, School of Psychological Sciences, College of Health and Medicine, University of TasmaniaSensorimotor Neuroscience and Ageing Research Laboratory, School of Psychological Sciences, College of Health and Medicine, University of TasmaniaSensorimotor Neuroscience and Ageing Research Laboratory, School of Psychological Sciences, College of Health and Medicine, University of TasmaniaSensorimotor Neuroscience and Ageing Research Laboratory, School of Psychological Sciences, College of Health and Medicine, University of TasmaniaSensorimotor Neuroscience and Ageing Research Laboratory, School of Psychological Sciences, College of Health and Medicine, University of TasmaniaAbstract The prefrontal cortex (PFC) governs the ability to rapidly cancel planned movements when no longer appropriate (motor inhibition) and ignore distracting stimuli (perceptual inhibition). It is unclear to what extent these processes interact, and how they are impacted by age. The interplay between perceptual and motor inhibition was investigated using a Flanker Task, a Stop Signal Task and a combined Stop Signal Flanker Task in healthy young (n = 33, Mean = 24 years) and older adults (n = 32, Mean = 71 years). PFC activity was measured with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), while electromyography (EMG) measured muscle activity in the fingers used to respond to the visual cues. Perceptual inhibition (the degree to which incongruent flankers slowed response time to a central cue) and motor inhibition (the speed of cancellation of EMG activation following stop cues) independently declined with age. When both processes were engaged together, PFC activity increased for both age groups, however only older adults exhibited slower motor inhibition. The results indicate that cortical upregulation was sufficient to compensate for the increased task demands in younger but not older adults, suggesting potential resource sharing and neural limitations particularly in older adults.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52269-z |
| spellingShingle | Rebecca Healey Megan Goldsworthy Sauro Salomoni Simon Weber Sarah Kemp Mark R. Hinder Rebecca J. St George Impaired motor inhibition during perceptual inhibition in older, but not younger adults: a psychophysiological study Scientific Reports |
| title | Impaired motor inhibition during perceptual inhibition in older, but not younger adults: a psychophysiological study |
| title_full | Impaired motor inhibition during perceptual inhibition in older, but not younger adults: a psychophysiological study |
| title_fullStr | Impaired motor inhibition during perceptual inhibition in older, but not younger adults: a psychophysiological study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impaired motor inhibition during perceptual inhibition in older, but not younger adults: a psychophysiological study |
| title_short | Impaired motor inhibition during perceptual inhibition in older, but not younger adults: a psychophysiological study |
| title_sort | impaired motor inhibition during perceptual inhibition in older but not younger adults a psychophysiological study |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52269-z |
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