Aging Effect on Visual and Spatial Components of Working Memory

Beigneux, Katia; Plaie, Thierry; Isingrini, Michel

doi:10.2190/ag.65.4.b

Cited by 37 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…For the spatial memory task, we found comparable results to other studies using this paradigm and other similar spatial memory paradigms (Greenwood et al, 2005; Beigneux et al, 2007). Computer errors resulted in lost data for four individuals leaving a total of 161 individuals for all analyses with memory performance (see Table 1).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 87%

Aerobic fitness is associated with hippocampal volume in elderly humans

et al. 2009

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Deterioration of the hippocampus occurs in elderly individuals with and without dementia, yet individual variation exists in the degree and rate of hippocampal decay. Determining the factors that influence individual variation in the magnitude and rate of hippocampal decay may help promote lifestyle changes that prevent such deterioration from taking place. Aerobic fitness and exercise are effective at preventing cortical decay and cognitive impairment in older adults and epidemiological studies suggest that physical activity can reduce the risk for developing dementia. However, the relationship between aerobic fitness and hippocampal volume in elderly humans is unknown. In this study, we investigated whether individuals with higher levels of aerobic fitness displayed greater volume of the hippocampus and better spatial memory performance than individuals with lower fitness levels. Furthermore, in exploratory analyses, we assessed whether hippocampal volume mediated the relationship between fitness and spatial memory. Using a region-of-interest analysis on magnetic resonance images in 165 nondemented older adults, we found a triple association such that higher fitness levels were associated with larger left and right hippocampi after controlling for age, sex, and years of education, and larger hippocampi and higher fitness levels were correlated with better spatial memory performance. Furthermore, we demonstrated that hippocampal volume partially mediated the relationship between higher fitness levels and enhanced spatial memory. Our results clearly indicate that higher levels of aerobic fitness are associated with increased hippocampal volume in older humans, which translates to better memory function.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 87%

Aerobic fitness is associated with hippocampal volume in elderly humans

et al. 2009

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“…A clear age effect in overall accuracy was observed, with more accurate responding by younger adults, indicating a better ability to store a more precise, finer-grained representation of the target object. This supports previous evidence suggesting that visual short-term memory is age-sensitive (e.g., Beigneux et al, 2007;Brown et al, 2012;Jenkins et al, 2000;Johnson, Logie, & Brockmole, 2010;Logie & Maylor, 2009). In particular, in the context of a visual feature binding task, Peich et al (2013) also investigated fidelity of visual short-term memory representations in older adults using a precision-based measure, and showed that aging was associated with less accurate reproductions of orientation from memory.…”

Section: Model Comparisonssupporting

confidence: 91%

“…A variety of methodologies can be utilized in order to examine age-related differences in visual information processing. For example, one can measure the accuracy in a task after the information has been presented under different encoding time conditions (e.g., Beigneux, Plaie, & Isingrini, 2007;Lecerf & Roulin, 2006;Vaughan & Hartman, 2010), measure the time taken to respond to a visual stimulus (e.g., Deary, Allerhand, & Der, 2009;Gregory, Nettelbeck, Howard, & Wilson, 2008;Hultsch, MacDonald, & Dixon, 2002;Jenkins et al, 2000), or equate the presentation duration needed to reach a set level of performance (e.g., Edwards et al, 2006;Owsley, 2013). These measures have typically indicated slower processing for older adults but there are multiple factors that contribute to these differences.…”

Section: Measuring Processing Speedmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, in Experiment 2, older adults actually performed better on trials in which the highest spatial frequency was used (the ''large difference'' condition, see Figure 5B). Furthermore, research on visual working memory capacity shows that older adults can perform well at lower levels of task complexity, indicating that age related deficits observed are not simply due to visual impairment (Beigneux et al, 2007;Brown et al, 2012;Johnson et al, 2010).…”

Section: Age Differences In Asymptotic Performance Levelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Aging and the rate of visual information processing

Guest

Howard

Brown³

et al. 2015

Journal of Vision

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Multiple methods exist for measuring how age influences the rate of visual information processing. The most advanced methods model the processing dynamics in a task in order to estimate processing rates independently of other factors that might be influenced by age, such as overall performance level and the time at which processing onsets. However, such modeling techniques have produced mixed evidence for age effects. Using a time-accuracy function (TAF) analysis, Kliegl, Mayr, and Krampe (1994) showed clear evidence for age effects on processing rate. In contrast, using the diffusion model to examine the dynamics of decision processes, Ratcliff and colleagues (e.g., Ratcliff, Thapar, & McKoon, 2006) found no evidence for age effects on processing rate across a range of tasks. Examination of these studies suggests that the number of display stimuli might account for the different findings. In three experiments we measured the precision of younger and older adults' representations of target stimuli after different amounts of stimulus exposure. A TAF analysis found little evidence for age differences in processing rate when a single stimulus was presented (Experiment 1). However, adding three nontargets to the display resulted in age-related slowing of processing (Experiment 2). Similar slowing was observed when simply presenting two stimuli and using a post-cue to indicate the target (Experiment 3). Although there was some interference from distracting objects and from previous responses, these age-related effects on processing rate seem to reflect an age-related difficulty in processing multiple objects, particularly when encoding them into visual working memory.

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“…No entanto, idosos apresentam dificuldades em realizar duplas ou múltiplas tarefas (Baddeley, 2009b;Glisky & Glisky, 2008). De acordo com os subsistemas da MT, o avanço da idade tem certo efeito sobre a alça fonológica e o esboço visuo-espacial (Beigneux, Plaie, & Isingrini, 2007). Entretanto, segundo Baddeley (1986), o sistema executivo central tende a ser afetado de forma mais significativa, devido a uma falha na eficiência dos sistemas frontais do cérebro durante o envelhecimento.…”

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Efeito de um programa de treinamento da memória de trabalho em adultos idosos

Netto

Greca

Zimmermann

et al. 2013

Psicol. Reflex. Crit.

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ResumoEste estudo objetivou examinar os efeitos de um Treinamento da Memória de Trabalho (TMT) em idosos saudáveis. Vinte participantes compuseram a amostra final, onze do grupo experimental (TMT) e nove do controle (socialização). Todos foram submetidos a uma avaliação neuropsicológica pré e pós-intervenção. Os encontros foram realizados uma vez por semana, durante três meses. Houve melhora significativa, no grupo experimental, em atenção concentrada, aprendizagem, memória de curto prazo e episódica, e no grupo controle, em um menor número de variáveis, na atenção concentrada e memória episódica. O TMT parece ter promovido efeito de transferência, principalmente na memória episódica, que é relacionada diretamente aos subsistemas da memória de trabalho (MT), sugerindo que o TMT pode ser útil no contexto da neuropsicologia do envelhecimento. Palavras-chave: Memória de trabalho, memória episódica, treinamento neuropsicológico, idoso. AbstractThe present study examined the effects of a Working Memory Training (WMT) in healthy elderly. Twenty participants comprised the final sample, eleven from the experimental group (WMT) and nine from the control group (socialization). Every subject underwent a neuropsychological evaluation pre and postintervention. The meetings were held once a week, for three months. Results indicated that subjects in the experimental group improved cognitive functions related to concentrated attention, learning, short-term and episodic memory. Subjects in the control group also demonstrated, in a smaller number of variables, improvement in concentrated attention and episodic memory. WMT seems to have generated a transfer effect, especially to episodic memory, which is directly related to the subsystem of working memory (WM), suggesting that WMT may be useful in the context of the neuropsychology of aging.

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Aging Effect on Visual and Spatial Components of Working Memory

Cited by 37 publications

References 22 publications

Aerobic fitness is associated with hippocampal volume in elderly humans

Aerobic fitness is associated with hippocampal volume in elderly humans

Aging and the rate of visual information processing

Efeito de um programa de treinamento da memória de trabalho em adultos idosos

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