Brain localization of attentional control in different age groups by combining functional and structural MRI.

The present study used functional and structural MRI to investigate differences in neuronal substrates underlying shifts of attention in young and old subjects, studied with dichotic listening. Two different consonant-vowel syllables were presented and the subjects were instructed to attend to and report from either the left or right ear stimulus. Typically, a right-ear advantage is observed when attending to the right-ear stimulus, and a left-ear advantage when attending to the left-ear stimulus.