Effect of Aging on Processes of Motor Inhibition

Abstract

The processes of inhibiting uninstructed motor responses were examined to identify age differences. Younger adults (n = 40) and older adults (n = 38) participated in two experiments using the Stimulus-Response Compatibility task. They were asked to push the switch on the side contralateral to the stimulus. The results indicated that responses induced by visual stimuli were gradually inhibited as a result of repeated trials on the contralateral (not-induced) side, and no age differences were noted. The addition of a color-discrimination task to the Stimulus-Response Compatibility task inhibited impulsive response induced by visual stimuli in younger adults only. These results indicate that certain processes of inhibiting motor responses are affected by aging, whereas other processes remain unaffected.