Adult Age-differences in Auditory Selective Attention: The Interplay of Norepinephrine and Rhythmic Neural Activity

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Selective attention refers to the ability to focus on a subset of the available external (i.e., sensory) and / or internal information (e.g., thoughts, emotions, memories). Therefore, it is a crucial component of successful goal-directed behavior in daily live. For example, participating in a conversation with multiple nearby speakers, e.g., during a party or in a restaurant, requires focusing on the currently relevant interaction partner while simultaneously ignoring interfering voices. However, with advancing age deficits in selective attention become prevalent and can impair daily social interactions. On a neurophysiological level, modulation of attention is linked to the functionality of both the noradrenergic system as well as rhythmic neural activity in the alpha-frequency range (~ 10 Hz). While evidence has accumulated about their functional significance in isolation, much less is known about their interplay. Crucially, both the noradrenergic system and rhythmic neural alpha-activity reveal alterations with advancing age. Hence, building on recent empirical observations and theoretical advancements, we propose a multimodal assessment of both, namely the structural and functional integrity of the central noradrenergic system (via neuromelanin-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and pupillometry, respectively) as well as the functional integrity of rhythmic neural activity (via electroencephalography [EEG]) in the alpha frequency range. Ultimately, we will integrate multiple levels of analysis to foster a mechanistic understanding of age-related declines in selective attention by revealing the interplay between the noradrenergic system and rhythmic neural activity.