TY - JOUR
T1 - Auditory attentional load modulates the temporal dynamics of audiovisual integration in older adults
T2 - An ERPs study
AU - Yang, Weiping
AU - Li, Shengnan
AU - Guo, Ao
AU - Li, Zimo
AU - Yang, Xiangfu
AU - Ren, Yanna
AU - Yang, Jiajia
AU - Wu, Jinglong
AU - Zhang, Zhilin
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2022 Yang, Li, Guo, Li, Yang, Ren, Yang, Wu and Zhang.
PY - 2022/10/17
Y1 - 2022/10/17
N2 - As older adults experience degenerations in perceptual ability, it is important to gain perception from audiovisual integration. Due to attending to one or more auditory stimuli, performing other tasks is a common challenge for older adults in everyday life. Therefore, it is necessary to probe the effects of auditory attentional load on audiovisual integration in older adults. The present study used event-related potentials (ERPs) and a dual-task paradigm [Go / No-go task + rapid serial auditory presentation (RSAP) task] to investigate the temporal dynamics of audiovisual integration. Behavioral results showed that both older and younger adults responded faster and with higher accuracy to audiovisual stimuli than to either visual or auditory stimuli alone. ERPs revealed weaker audiovisual integration under the no-attentional auditory load condition at the earlier processing stages and, conversely, stronger integration in the late stages. Moreover, audiovisual integration was greater in older adults than in younger adults at the following time intervals: 60–90, 140–210, and 430–530 ms. Notably, only under the low load condition in the time interval of 140–210 ms, we did find that the audiovisual integration of older adults was significantly greater than that of younger adults. These results delineate the temporal dynamics of the interactions with auditory attentional load and audiovisual integration in aging, suggesting that modulation of auditory attentional load affects audiovisual integration, enhancing it in older adults.
AB - As older adults experience degenerations in perceptual ability, it is important to gain perception from audiovisual integration. Due to attending to one or more auditory stimuli, performing other tasks is a common challenge for older adults in everyday life. Therefore, it is necessary to probe the effects of auditory attentional load on audiovisual integration in older adults. The present study used event-related potentials (ERPs) and a dual-task paradigm [Go / No-go task + rapid serial auditory presentation (RSAP) task] to investigate the temporal dynamics of audiovisual integration. Behavioral results showed that both older and younger adults responded faster and with higher accuracy to audiovisual stimuli than to either visual or auditory stimuli alone. ERPs revealed weaker audiovisual integration under the no-attentional auditory load condition at the earlier processing stages and, conversely, stronger integration in the late stages. Moreover, audiovisual integration was greater in older adults than in younger adults at the following time intervals: 60–90, 140–210, and 430–530 ms. Notably, only under the low load condition in the time interval of 140–210 ms, we did find that the audiovisual integration of older adults was significantly greater than that of younger adults. These results delineate the temporal dynamics of the interactions with auditory attentional load and audiovisual integration in aging, suggesting that modulation of auditory attentional load affects audiovisual integration, enhancing it in older adults.
KW - ERPs
KW - aging
KW - audiovisual integration
KW - auditory attentional load
KW - rapid serial auditory presentation (RSAP)
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85140989276&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fnagi.2022.1007954
DO - 10.3389/fnagi.2022.1007954
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85140989276
SN - 1663-4365
VL - 14
JO - Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience
JF - Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience
M1 - 1007954
ER -