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Full-Length Research Report

The Association Between Physical Activity and Attentional Control in Younger and Older Middle-Aged Adults

An ERP Study

Published Online:November 29, 2012https://doi.org/10.1024/1662-9647/a000072

Abstract

This study investigates the association between physical activity level and attentional control in a group of younger and older middle-aged adults (MA). Participants performed a Flanker task; two types of conflict were analyzed: response and perceptual conflict. For perceptual conflict, behavioral findings suggest that, irrespective of age, physical activity is positively associated with attentional control. For response conflicts, only highly active younger MA showed better attentional control, indicated by increased amplitudes of the event related potential N2 and reduced interference costs by distracting information. Physical activity did not modulate P3 amplitudes. The findings are discussed with respect to physical activity as functional approach to maintain cognitive functioning across the lifespan.

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