Arousal increases neural gain via the locus coeruleus–noradrenaline system in younger adults but not in older adults

Tae-Ho Lee, Steven G. Greening, Taiji Ueno, David Clewett, Allison Ponzio, Michiko Sakaki and Mara Mather ()
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Tae-Ho Lee: University of Southern California
Steven G. Greening: University of Southern California
Taiji Ueno: Takachiho University
David Clewett: University of Southern California
Allison Ponzio: University of Southern California
Michiko Sakaki: University of Reading
Mara Mather: University of Southern California

Nature Human Behaviour, 2018, vol. 2, issue 5, 356-366

Abstract: Abstract In younger adults, arousal amplifies attentional focus to the most salient or goal-relevant information while suppressing other information. A computational model of how the locus coeruleus–noradrenaline system can implement this increased selectivity under arousal and a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study comparing how arousal affects younger and older adults’ processing indicate that the amplification of salient stimuli and the suppression of non-salient stimuli are separate processes, with ageing affecting suppression without affecting amplification under arousal. In the fMRI study, arousal increased processing of salient stimuli and decreased processing of non-salient stimuli for younger adults. By contrast, for older adults, arousal increased processing of both low- and high-salience stimuli, generally increasing excitatory responses to visual stimuli. Older adults also showed a decline in locus coeruleus functional connectivity with frontoparietal networks that coordinate attentional selectivity. Thus, among older adults, arousal increases the potential for distraction from non-salient stimuli.

Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1038/s41562-018-0344-1

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