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Spatial negative priming in early Alzheimer's disease: Evidence for reduced cognitive inhibition

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 May 2006

FRANCES L. VAUGHAN ,
ELIZABETH A. HUGHES ,
ROBERT S.P. JONES ,
ROBERT T. WOODS  and
STEVEN P. TIPPER
FRANCES L. VAUGHAN
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Wales Bangor, Bangor, United Kingdom North Wales Brain Injury Service, Conwy & Denbighshire NHS Trust, United Kingdom
ELIZABETH A. HUGHES
Affiliation:
Psychology Department, South Essex Partnership NHS Trust, Essex, United Kingdom
ROBERT S.P. JONES
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Wales Bangor, Bangor, United Kingdom
ROBERT T. WOODS
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Wales Bangor, Bangor, United Kingdom
STEVEN P. TIPPER
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Wales Bangor, Bangor, United Kingdom
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Abstract

Some studies of negative priming and other tasks assumed to reflect inhibitory functions suggest a decline in inhibitory processes in Alzheimer's disease. However, none of the measures used in previous studies can be interpreted as an unambiguous reflection of distractor inhibition. The present study investigates whether reductions in negative priming associated with Alzheimer's disease reflect reduced distractor inhibition, rather than perceptual review processes. Individuals with early Alzheimer's disease were predicted to show reduced negative priming on a spatial localization task designed to provide an unambiguous measure of distractor inhibition. Sixteen clinical participants showed significantly less negative priming than old and young healthy control groups, which is interpreted as evidence for reduced distractor inhibition in early dementia. A second analysis indicated that, within the clinical sample only, negative priming effect size was significantly correlated with prime trial response speed. Clinical participants showing the least negative priming were slower to respond to an initial stimulus. The results may mean that people with early Alzheimer's disease have a reduced capacity to use excitatory as well as inhibitory processes in selection. (JINS, 2006, 12, 416–423.)

Keywords

Alzheimer diseaseDementiaInhibitionAttentionCognitive scienceNeuropsychology
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 12 , Issue 3 , May 2006 , pp. 416 - 423
Copyright
© 2006 The International Neuropsychological Society

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