Reading in healthy aging: how attentional components drive age-related changes

Background Reading represents a cognitively engaging activity that supports the maintenance of cognitive functioning in older adults. Even though it has been extensively documented that reading is influenced by the aging process itself, the high-level cognitive mechanisms behind this decline remain poorly understood. This study aimed at examining the role of cognitive functions and particularly of the selective visuo-spatial attention in the age-related changes in reading. Method One hundred-twenty neurologically healthy older adults (age range 60–88; mean age: 70.64 ± 5.48) underwent a neuropsychological assessment measuring reading abilities, global cognitive functioning, attention, and visual skills. Results Results revealed that general cognitive components (i.e., inhibition, working memory and speed processing), as assessed by the simple reaction times task, Stroop test and Symbol Digit Modalities Test, significantly mediated the relationship between age and reading performance. Visuo-spatial attention specifically appeared to moderate this relationship: individuals with greater decline in visual search tasks showed an amplified impact of age on reading abilities. Conclusion These findings highlight that reading is a multifaceted cognitive process, whose age-related decline reflects the interplay of several general and specific cognitive factors. The moderating role of visuo-spatial attention underscores the importance of accounting for individual variability in healthy aging.