Modified MDOR task - effect of normal ageing on performance

In the minimally delayed oculomotor response (MDOR) task, participants are presented with a simple visual target step with variable target display duration (TDD), and instructed to saccade to the target not when it appears (a prosaccade response), but when it disappears (i.e. on target offset). We used a modified MDOR task, in which participants were presented with static placeholders identifying potential target positions, and three TDDs rather than two. In 28 older (mean±SD age: 65±7y) and 25 younger (26±7y) participants the total overall error rate was higher in the older group (30±18% vs 16±11%). The latency of correct responses (to offsets) was significantly increased in the older group. Data is shown for 24 participants (15 old, 9 young) who completed both versions of the MDOR task (modified 3TDD vs original 2TDD).