Abstract
We examined the effects of cognitive load on the inhibition of emotional task-irrelevant stimulus in older adults. Thirty-seven healthy older adults (aged 61-73 yrs.) performed a 1-back task (low cognitive load) and a 2-back task (high cognitive load) with a digit. A target digit was simultaneously presented with a task-irrelevant emotional photograph in each trial. We used two types of emotional photographs (positive and neutral images). Participants were instructed to press a button when the current digit was the same as 1 or 2 back in the sequence and not to press the button when it was different, while ignoring a photograph. The results showed that the response to go trial was slower with positive emotional photograph than with neutral emotional photograph in the 2-back task but not the 1-back condition. These findings suggested that the attentional control in older adults depends on cognitive load.
