A Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis of Age-Related Differences in Inhibitory Control on the Flanker Task.

Background: Aging is associated with declines in cognitive functions, particularly inhibitory control. The flanker task is widely used to assess this function; however, research findings on age-related differences remain inconsistent.

Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizes findings comparing young and older adults across different versions of the flanker task.

Methods: A total of 22 studies were selected from PsycInfo, PubMed and PsycNet.

Results: The results show that older adults exhibit slower reaction times, particularly on incongruent trials. However, differences in accuracy between both groups remain inconsistent. Our systematic review indicates that variability across studies likely stems from differences in participant demographics, cognitive screening protocols, task design, and statistical approaches. Task variations, such as stimulus type (arrows, letters, or moving stimuli), cueing conditions, and spatial arrangements, significantly influence interference effects. Furthermore, methodological differences in the computation of inhibition cost scoring also contribute to discrepancies in findings. Meta-analytical results reveal that the arrow flanker task produced the most consistent age-related differences. In contrast, letter-based and cued versions exhibited greater variability.

Conclusions: Future research should standardize task protocols, refine statistical methods, and explore novel adaptations such as dynamic stimuli to better understand inhibitory control changes in aging. Addressing these inconsistencies will enhance our ability to identify age-related inhibitory difficulties and develop targeted interventions to mitigate cognitive decline.