Feature processing during visual search in normal aging: Electrophysiological evidence

Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded from healthy young and older subjects during the execution of a visual search task in which they were required to detect the presence of a target stimulus that differed from distractors in a salient feature (orientation). Apart from the orientation target, a task-irrelevant singleton defined by a different feature (color) was also presented without instruction. The effects of normal aging on the N2pc component, an electrophysiological correlate of the allocation of visuospatial attention, were evaluated for the first time. Behavioral results showed an increase in the mean reaction time (RT) and a reduction in the hit rates with age. Electrophysiological results showed a consistent N2pc for orientation target pop-outs but not for irrelevant color pop-outs in both age groups, suggesting that the irrelevant color singleton did not induce attentional capture. Furthermore, the N2pc component observed for orientation targets was significantly delayed and attenuated in older subjects compared to young subjects, suggesting a specific impairment of the allocation of visuospatial attention with advancing age.