Van Gerven Pascal W M, Hurks Petra P M, Bovend'Eerdt Thamar J H, Adam Jos J
Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University.
Department of Movement Sciences, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University.
Dev Psychol. 2016 Jun;52(6):960-71. doi: 10.1037/dev0000116. Epub 2016 Apr 28.
We investigated the effects of age on proactive and reactive cognitive control in a large population sample of 809 individuals, ranging in age between 5 and 97 years. For that purpose, we used an anticue paradigm, which required a consistent remapping of cue location and response hand: Left-sided cues required right-hand responses and vice versa. After a random preparation interval of 100-850 ms, these anticues were followed by a target stimulus, which prompted a response with the index or middle finger of 1 of 2 hands. A neutral control condition involved uninformative cues, indicating all 4 possible response locations. The primary outcome measure was the difference between neutral and anticue reaction time (RT). Negative values indicated RT costs of the anticue, relative to the neutral condition, reflecting reactive cognitive control. Positive values indicated RT benefits, reflecting proactive cognitive control. Results were twofold. First, the switch from RT costs to benefits took place at longer preparation intervals in the youngest and oldest age groups than in the intermediate age groups. Second, irrespective of preparation interval, anticue performance followed an inverted U-shaped trajectory as a function of age, with a relatively steep improvement during childhood and adolescence, relative stability between 26 and 60 years, and a slightly accelerating decline into old age. Both patterns of results suggest an age-related transition from a primarily reactive, to a primarily proactive mode of cognitive control in early life and back again from a primarily proactive, to a primarily reactive mode of control in later life. (PsycINFO Database Record
我们在一个由809名年龄在5岁至97岁之间的个体组成的大样本群体中，研究了年龄对主动和反应性认知控制的影响。为此，我们采用了一种反线索范式，该范式要求对线索位置和反应手进行一致的重新映射：左侧线索需要右手反应，反之亦然。在100 - 850毫秒的随机准备间隔后，这些反线索之后会出现一个目标刺激，该刺激促使使用两只手中的一只手的食指或中指做出反应。一个中性对照条件涉及无信息线索，指示所有4个可能的反应位置。主要结果测量指标是中性线索和反线索反应时间（RT）之间的差异。负值表示相对于中性条件，反线索的反应时间成本，反映反应性认知控制。正值表示反应时间收益，反映主动认知控制。结果有两方面。首先，与中年组相比，最年轻和最年长年龄组从反应时间成本转变为收益所需的准备间隔更长。其次，无论准备间隔如何，反线索表现随年龄呈倒U形轨迹，在童年和青少年时期改善相对陡峭，在26岁至60岁之间相对稳定，进入老年后略有加速下降。这两种结果模式都表明，在生命早期，认知控制模式从主要是反应性的向主要是主动性的转变，而在生命后期又从主要是主动性的向主要是反应性的控制模式转变。（PsycINFO数据库记录）
