Deficit in switching between functional brain networks underlies the impact of multitasking on working memory in older adults
Clapp and colleagues studied why interruptions disrupt memory more in older adults. Younger and older adults did a delayed recognition task, with and without a secondary task, during functional brain imaging. Older adults performed worse than younger adults when interrupted. Younger adults disengaged from the memory maintenance network and shifted attention to the interruption, while older adults did not disengage and did not reconnect the networks tied to memory. The authors conclude that the greater disruption reflects a deficit in dynamically switching between brain networks.
Clapp and colleagues studied why interruptions disrupt memory more in older adults. Younger and older adults did a delayed recognition task, with and without a secondary task, during functional brain imaging. Older adults performed worse than younger adults when interrupted. Younger adults disengaged from the memory maintenance network and shifted attention to the interruption, while older adults did not disengage and did not reconnect the networks tied to memory. The authors conclude that the greater disruption reflects a deficit in dynamically switching between brain networks.
Written from the abstract read 2026-10-26 via OpenAlex.
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Clapp, W. C., Rubens, M. T., Sabharwal, J., & Gazzaley, A. (2011). Deficit in switching between functional brain networks underlies the impact of multitasking on working memory in older adults. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(17). doi:10.1073/pnas.1015297108