Old people almost twice as likely to memory problems due to environmental distractions

A new study has revealed that Older people are nearly twice as likely as their younger counterparts to have their memory and cognitive processes impaired by environmental distractions (such as irrelevant speech or written words presented along with target stimuli).

According to a study from psychologists at Rice University and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, older people are twice as much slowing in cognitive processing in the presence of distracting information in the environment.

Randi Martin, the Elma W. Schneider Professor of Psychology at Rice and the study's co-author, said that almost any type of memory test administered reveals a decline in memory from the age of 25 on.

Martin added that however, this is the first study to convincingly demonstrate the impact of environmental interference on processing having a greater impact on older than younger adults.

The researchers also said that the tests used in this study are important tools in determining how the brain is affected by environmental interference, which is critical information in treating neurological disorders, including stroke and traumatic brain injuries.

The study was published in Psychology and Aging.