P. Gerhardstein et al., AGE-RELATED HEMISPHERIC-ASYMMETRY IN OBJECT DISCRIMINATION, Neuropsychology, development, and cognition. Section A, Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology, 20(2), 1998, pp. 174-185
Young and elderly observers judged whether two sequentially presented
images in either the left or right visual field (LVF or RVF) were the
same or different. The two objects depicted were always from the same
entry-level category, but could differ only in viewpoint (a ''same'' t
rial-observers were instructed to ignore viewpoint changes) and/or in
exemplar (a ''different'' trial). Young observers showed no difference
in sensitivity across visual fields. Elderly observers were less sens
itive overall than young observers, and were less sensitive to stimuli
presented in the LVF-RH than in the RVF-LH. The results of this exper
iment support the hypothesis that one type of visual cognitive functio
ning declines with age faster in the right hemisphere than in the left
hemisphere.