Attenuation of age-related conditioning deficits in humans by extension of the interstimulus interval

Young (17-22 years) and older (61-86 years) persons underwent classical conditioning of the eye-blink response to a tone conditioned stimulus (CS) and an airpuff unconditioned stimulus (UCS) at 1 of 3 interstimulus intervals (ISIs; 400, 650, and 900 ms). As in a previous study, older subjects conditioned more slowly and emitted fewer conditioned responses at the optimal 400-ms ISI. At longer ISIs, however, this age-related disruption of classical conditioning was attenuated. These differences in conditioning were not due to nonassociative factors, such as sensitivity to the tone CS or airpuff UCS or to differences in spontaneous blink rate, nor were they due to differences in general cognitive abilities. The results are discussed in terms of the role of temporal relationships between stimuli in conditioning across the life span.