Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42331961›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2026

Age-related differences in alpha power for distractor inhibition during visual working memory.

Sabrina Sghirripa, Lynton Graetz, John G Semmler, Rebecca Sutton, Ellen E R Williams, Mitchell R Goldsworthy

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In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Sabrina SghirripaAustralian Institute for Machine Learning, School of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, Adelaide University, Adelaide, SA, Australia. sabrina.sghirripa@adelaide.edu.au.ORCID 0000-0003-0275-1476
Lynton GraetzHopwood Centre of Neurobiology, Lifelong Health Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
John G SemmlerDiscipline of Physiology, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science, Adelaide University, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Rebecca SuttonDiscipline of Physiology, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science, Adelaide University, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Ellen E R WilliamsDiscipline of Physiology, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science, Adelaide University, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Mitchell R GoldsworthySchool of Allied Health and Human Performance, Adelaide University, Adelaide, SA, Australia.

Funding

Australian Research Council DE200100575
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

As working memory (WM) is limited in capacity, neural resources must be directed towards task-relevant, and away from task-irrelevant information. Alpha oscillations (8-12 Hz) have been implicated in distractor inhibition during WM retention in younger adults, but it is unclear if alpha oscillations also support distractor inhibition in older adults. We recorded electroencephalography while 24 younger (aged 18-35) and 24 older (aged 60-86) adults completed a modified delay match-to-sample task where distractors of varying strength appeared during the retention period. We found: (1) strong distractors impaired WM performance in both age groups, but only older adults were impaired by weak distractors, relative to the no distractor condition; (2) younger adults demonstrated robust increases in alpha power from baseline during retention, while older adults showed little evidence for a change from fixation; (3) both age groups showed lower alpha power when anticipating distractors compared to no-distractor trials, but younger adults more strongly modulated this response based on distractor strength; and (4) higher pre-distractor alpha power was associated with better task performance in younger adults. Our results suggest age-related differences in both WM retention strategies and anticipatory distractor processing, each of which may contribute to older adults' greater susceptibility to distraction during visual WM.

Indexed as

AgingAlpha RhythmAttentionMemory, Short-TermVisual PerceptionAdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAge FactorsElectroencephalographyFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedYoung AdultAlpha oscillationsCognitive ageingDistractor inhibitionEEGWorking memory

Identifiers

PMID42331961
PMCPMC13572377

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.