Audio–visual Reaction Time in Different Age Groups in Normal Individuals: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Reaction time (RT) is a simple yet sensitive measure of sensorimotor and cognitive processing. As life expectancy increases, understanding age-related changes in RT is essential to assess the functional implications of aging on everyday tasks requiring attention and prompt responses. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare simple and choice auditory and visual RTs across different age groups and genders in healthy individuals aged 21–60 years. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 120 healthy volunteers (60 males, 60 females), divided equally into four decadal age groups. RTs were measured using a digital RT apparatus (RTM-608) for simple and choice tasks using visual (red, green, yellow lights) and auditory (high, medium, low frequencies) stimuli. Statistical analysis was done using ANOVA, post hoc Tukey’s test, correlation, and regression analyses. Results: All RT measures significantly increased with age ( P < 0.0001). Choice RTs began to decline earlier (from 31 to 40 years), whereas simple RTs declined more markedly after 40 years. Strong correlations with age were observed ( r = 0.991 for simple RT, r = 0.965 for choice RT). Conclusion: RT slows progressively with age, with cognitive components showing earlier decline. These findings highlight the importance of early cognitive monitoring in aging populations.