Temporal preparation in aging: a dissociation between automatic and controlled processes?

The ability to predict when a stimulus is more likely to appear – Temporal preparation (TP) - is fundamental for optimal processing. TP can be achieved through four distinct components considered as requiring more or less controlled processes. The impact of aging on these four abilities, and specifically on the more controlled forms of TP, have been poorly investigated. In this study, after validating in young adults (N=120) a protocol assessing the four TP components in a simple detection task, we tested whether TP was preserved in a group of elderly participants. Bayesian analyses provided evidence for a specific alteration of the endogenous orienting system, that is, the ability to benefit from symbolic cues; but preserved abilities for the foreperiod and for more automatic processes such as sequential effects or regular rhythmic sequences. Overall, these results suggest a specific alteration of the more controlled and resources demanding form of TP in elderly participants (endogenous temporal orienting). These results have specific implications such as understanding the impact of aging on temporal preparation but also more global implications as the understanding of the nature of the four components.