Altered interactions between attentional networks in older adults with mild cognitive impairment
Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Previous research using the Attention Network Test (ANT) paradigm has indicated that older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) experience declines in attentional performance across the three core networks: alerting, orienting, and executive control, primarily focusing on main effects. The present study sought to expand these findings by exploring whether interactions between these networks are also affected in the presence of MCI. To achieve this, we used the Revised Attention Network Test (ANT-R) to examine both the individual attentional networks and their interactions in 21 older adults with MCI and 27 healthy controls (HCs) matched on demographic variables. Results indicated that the MCI group exhibited lower accuracy than the HC group in both executive control and orienting functions. In addition, the MCI group demonstrated a weakened interaction between the orienting and executive control networks, suggesting that valid cues are less effective in facilitating conflict resolution for individuals with MCI compared to HCs. No significant group differences were observed for the interaction between the executive control and alerting networks, or between the flanker conflict effect and the location conflict effect within the executive control network. This study extends previous findings by identifying changes related to MCI in the interaction between the orienting and executive control networks, highlighting the challenges individuals with MCI face in utilizing spatial cues during attentional processing.
Source: Heliyon
Authors: Ling Ma, Hao He, Yuehong Qiu, Yiqi Chen, Qing Guan
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,100
Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China, Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, Science, Technology and Innovation Commission of Shenzhen Municipality, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province
OpenAlex ID: W4405526671