Aged-related differences in the attentional cost of pointing movements

Neurosci Lett. 2003 Feb 27;338(2):169-73. doi: 10.1016/s0304-3940(02)01382-4.

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to analyze, in children aged 6, 8 and 11, the developmental trend of the attentional cost related to the programming and execution of pointing movements, using a dual-task paradigm. Our results showed that the attentional cost associated to the programming and the first phase of the pointing movement decreased non linearly with age, in particular a plateau between 8 and 11 was observed. This confirmed that the developmental trend of the control of pointing movements is characterized by a no monotonic evolution in which feedforward processes were predominantly used in the younger children, feedback processes were predominantly used in older children (since age 8), and one-line over feedforward processes were used in adults.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Attention*
  • Child
  • Feedback, Psychological
  • Humans
  • Movement*
  • Psychomotor Performance