Inhibitory control deficits in vascular cognitive impairment revealed using the MILO task

We used the MILO (Multi-Item Localization) task to characterise performance of a group older adults diagnosed with mild moderate vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). The is designed explore temporal context visual search and in addition measuring overall completion time, provides profile serial reaction time (SRT) patterns across all items sequence. Of particular interest here Vanish/Remain manipulation that can identify problems inhibitory control during search. Typically, SRT functions closely overlap, regardless whether Vanish or Remain visible when selected, indicating an ability ignore previously selected targets. Based on distributed nature VCI-related pathology previous studies from our group, we speculated would be compromised this participants remained after being relative they vanished. Compared cognitively healthy, age-matched participants, VCI was characterised by slowing, increased error rates, crucially, past locations. As predicted, versus significantly diverged towards end sequence, which not case for groups. Overall, findings suggest could useful tool identifying non-age-related changes behaviour patient populations, more generally hints at possible deficit VCI.