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

选择性注意指的是将注意力集中在可获得的外部信息(如感觉)和/或内部信息(如思想、情绪、记忆)的子集上的能力。因此，它是日常生活中成功的目标导向行为的重要组成部分。例如，参加与多个附近说话者的对话，例如在聚会期间或在餐馆中，需要专注于当前相关的交互伙伴，同时忽略干扰声音。然而，随着年龄的增长，选择性注意缺陷变得普遍，并可能损害日常社交活动。在神经生理学水平上，注意力的调节既与去甲肾上腺素系统的功能有关，也与阿尔法频率范围(~10赫兹)的节律性神经活动有关。虽然关于它们单独的功能意义的证据已经积累起来，但关于它们之间的相互作用却知之甚少。至关重要的是，去甲肾上腺素系统和节律性神经阿尔法活动都揭示了随着年龄的增长而发生的变化。因此，基于最近的经验观察和理论进展，我们建议对两者进行多模式评估，即中枢去甲肾上腺素系统的结构和功能完整性(分别通过神经黑色素敏感的磁共振成像(MRI)和瞳孔测量)以及在阿尔法频率范围内节律性神经活动的功能完整性(通过脑电[EEG])。最终，我们将整合多个层次的分析，通过揭示去甲肾上腺素系统和节律性神经活动之间的相互作用，促进对与年龄相关的选择性注意力下降的机械理解。

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.