Ageing and Cognitive Inhibition: An ERP analysis

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Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Shum, David
Cutmore, Timothy
Year published
2016
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Show full item recordAbstract
Impaired cognitive inhibition is one of a number of changes in cognitive functioning that are associated with healthy ageing. Cognitive inhibition is the ability to suppress or withhold some cognitive process and includes the ability to block out distracting information. Successful cognitive inhibition underlies improved performance on a range of executive functions including problem solving, long-term planning and goal-directed behaviour (Darowski, Helder, Zacks, Hasher, & Hambrick, 2008). One theory posits that age-related deficits in cognitive inhibition may underlie general cognitive decline associated with older adults ...
View more >Impaired cognitive inhibition is one of a number of changes in cognitive functioning that are associated with healthy ageing. Cognitive inhibition is the ability to suppress or withhold some cognitive process and includes the ability to block out distracting information. Successful cognitive inhibition underlies improved performance on a range of executive functions including problem solving, long-term planning and goal-directed behaviour (Darowski, Helder, Zacks, Hasher, & Hambrick, 2008). One theory posits that age-related deficits in cognitive inhibition may underlie general cognitive decline associated with older adults (Hasher & Zacks, 1988; Hasher, Zacks, & Rahhal, 1999). Previous behavioural studies have found that automatic, or unintentional cognitive inhibition is preserved with age while controlled, intentional cognitive inhibition is impaired in older adults (Collette, Germain, Hogge, & Van der Linden, 2009). In contrast, a number of neuroimaging studies suggest that older adults show less differentiation than young adults in neural processing of automatic and controlled tasks. In particular, it has been suggested that automatic tasks are processed more like controlled tasks, suggesting increased cognitive effort required to complete them (Germain & Collette, 2008).
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View more >Impaired cognitive inhibition is one of a number of changes in cognitive functioning that are associated with healthy ageing. Cognitive inhibition is the ability to suppress or withhold some cognitive process and includes the ability to block out distracting information. Successful cognitive inhibition underlies improved performance on a range of executive functions including problem solving, long-term planning and goal-directed behaviour (Darowski, Helder, Zacks, Hasher, & Hambrick, 2008). One theory posits that age-related deficits in cognitive inhibition may underlie general cognitive decline associated with older adults (Hasher & Zacks, 1988; Hasher, Zacks, & Rahhal, 1999). Previous behavioural studies have found that automatic, or unintentional cognitive inhibition is preserved with age while controlled, intentional cognitive inhibition is impaired in older adults (Collette, Germain, Hogge, & Van der Linden, 2009). In contrast, a number of neuroimaging studies suggest that older adults show less differentiation than young adults in neural processing of automatic and controlled tasks. In particular, it has been suggested that automatic tasks are processed more like controlled tasks, suggesting increased cognitive effort required to complete them (Germain & Collette, 2008).
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Thesis Type
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Degree Program
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School
School of Applied Psychology
Copyright Statement
The author owns the copyright in this thesis, unless stated otherwise.
Item Access Status
Public
Subject
Impaired cognitive inhibition
Executive functions
Problem solving
Long term planning
Goal-directed behaviour
Event-related potential