Hemispheric lateralization in aging: Interest of the verbal-manual concurrency paradigm |
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Authors: | Anne Petit Thierry Constans Karl Mondon Frédéric Andersson Danièle Perrier-Palisson Aurélie Marqué |
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Affiliation: | 1. Geriatric Medicine Unit, CHRU Tours, F. Rabelais University , Tours , France annecougnaud2002@yahoo.fr;3. Geriatric Medicine Unit, CHRU Tours, F. Rabelais University , Tours , France;4. Geriatric Medicine Unit, CHRU Tours, F. Rabelais University , Tours , France;5. Memory Research Center , Tours , France;6. UMRS INSERM U930 FRE 2448, F. Rabelais University , Tours , France;7. IFR 135 Functional imaging , Tours , France |
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Abstract: | ABSTRACT Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the classic asymmetry seen in hemispheric functioning is modified in older adults by using a verbal-manual concurrency task. Method: Thirty-five right-handed participants divided into two groups according to age (15 older participants, mean age: 68 ± 8 years, without cognitive decline and 20 younger participants, mean age: 23 ± 2 years) had to perform a 30-second uni-manual tapping task, in both a single task (tapping alone) and dual task (tapping and performing a letter fluency task together) condition. Results: In younger participants, the letter fluency task disrupted the right hand more than the left hand whereas, in older participants, the letter fluency task disrupted both hands equally. Conclusion: These results should be considered preliminary data using a behavioral dual task condition, which might be useful for studying lateralized hemispheric functioning and the processes of divided attention during aging. |
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Keywords: | Dual task Verbal-manual concurrency Aging Hemispheric asymmetry HAROLD model |
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