Psicothema was founded in Asturias (northern Spain) in 1989, and is published jointly by the Psychology Faculty of the University of Oviedo and the Psychological Association of the Principality of Asturias (Colegio Oficial de Psicología del Principado de Asturias).
We currently publish four issues per year, which accounts for some 100 articles annually. We admit work from both the basic and applied research fields, and from all areas of Psychology, all manuscripts being anonymously reviewed prior to publication.
María Victoria Sebastián1 and Roberto Mediavilla2
Background: This cross-sectional study examined whether changes occur in people’s capacity to coordinate two simultaneous tasks (dual-task) when transitioning from adulthood to later life. The central executive, Baddeley’s working memory model component, is responsible for this coordination. Contradictory results have been reported regarding the relationship between ageing and dual-task performance; but these seem to be related to methodological issues that have been addressed in this study. Methods: Nine hundred and seventy-two participants, aged between 35 and 90 years old, volunteered to carry out a verbal digit span task, followed by single and concurrent (dual-task) tests: first, a box crossing task, then, the digit recall task in relation to their memory span, and finally, both these tests simultaneously. Results: We found no difference in people’s capacity to coordinate their attention when doing two tasks in adulthood or healthy later life, including those in the oldest age groups. Furthermore, gender and educational level were not related to dual-task performance. Conclusions: The results support the normal functioning of the central executive in very old people. These data contrast with research with patients suffering from different types of dementia, which show a decrease in their dual-task performance.
¿Desciende la capacidad para realizar dos tareas simultáneas en las personas mayores? Antecedentes: este estudio transversal examina la capacidad para realizar dos tareas de forma simultánea desde la edad adulta hasta la vejez. El ejecutivo central del modelo de memoria operativa de Baddeley es el responsable de esta coordinación. Existe cierta polémica respecto a la relación entre edad y rendimiento en la tarea doble, que podría explicarse por algunos aspectos metodológicos abordados en este estudio. Método: novecientos setenta y dos participantes entre 35 y 90 años participaron voluntariamente en el estudio. Realizaron una tarea de amplitud verbal de dígitos, seguida de una tarea de cruces y una tarea de recuerdo de dígitos en función de la amplitud de cada sujeto, y ambas tareas de forma simultánea (doble tarea). Resultados: no se encuentran diferencias en función de la edad en la doble tarea, ni siquiera en los grupos de personas más mayores. Tampoco existe relación entre esta capacidad y el género o el nivel de educación. Conclusiones: los resultados muestran que la capacidad del ejecutivo central para coordinar dos tareas de forma simultánea está preservada en la edad adulta y la vejez. Ello contrasta con los hallazgos obtenidos en personas con diferentes tipos de demencia, que sí presentan un deterioro en esta capacidad.
SPANISH
ENGLISH
https://doi.org/10.7334/psicothema2016.274