Age-related differences in novelty and target processing among cognitively high performing adults

Previous research on age-related changes in ERP components in response to novel and target stimuli has not carefully controlled for differences in level of cognitive status between age groups, which may have contributed to the common findings of increased P3 latency, decreased P3 amplitude, and altered P3 scalp distribution. Here, cognitively high-performing (top third based on published norms) old, middle-aged, and young adults matched for IQ, education, and gender participated in a novelty oddball paradigm. There were no age-associated differences in P3 latency. Older adults had a larger, more anteriorly distributed P3 amplitude to all stimulus types, even repetitive standards, suggesting they may rely on increased resources and effortful frontal activity to successfully process any kind of visual stimulus. However, after controlling for this non-specific age-related processing difference, the amplitude and scalp distribution of the P3 component to novel and target stimuli were comparable across age groups, indicating that for cognitively high functioning elders there may be no age-related differences specific to the processing of novel and target events as indexed by the P3 component.