Frontal lobe involvement in a task of time-based prospective memory

Abstract

Time-based prospective memory (PM) has been found to be negatively affected by aging, possibly as a result of declining frontal lobe (FL) function. Despite a clear retrospective component to PM tasks, the medial temporal lobes (MTL) are thought to play only a secondary role in successful task completion. The present study investigated the role of the FLs and MTLs in time-based PM, as well as their involvement in clock monitoring, plan generation, and time estimation, each of which may play a role in the execution of time-based PM tasks. Based upon their scores on composite measures of FL and MTL function, 32 older adults were divided into four groups, and were then tested on a time-based laboratory PM task. Overall age effects were also assessed and each of the four groups was compared to a group of 32 younger adults. High-frontal functioning participants demonstrated better prospective memory than low-frontal functioning participants, and were not distinguishable from younger adults. Older adults with high-MTL scores performed significantly better than those with low-MTL scores, but only if they were also high in FL function. FL function, but not MTL function, predicted patterns of clock monitoring, quality of plans generated to assist in time-based PM performance, and the accuracy of time estimation. Again, on each of these measures the performance of the high-frontal group was equivalent to that of the younger adults. The results of this study suggest that it is not aging per se that disrupts PM performance, but it is instead primarily the diminished frontal function seen in a subset of older adults. KeywordsAging; Frontal lobes; Executive function; Prospective memory; Medial temporal lobes Remembering to perform an action at a future point in time is a mnemonic ability that is particularly critical to daily living. In the last 10-12 years, this "remembering to remember," referred to as prospective memory (PM), has begun to receive considerable research attention. PM is traditionally divided into two forms: event-based and time-based. An example of eventbased prospective memory is remembering to deposit a check when seeing the bank on your way home. In this case, the bank serves as an environmental cue that prompts retrieval of an intended action, depositing a check. An example of time-based prospective memory is remembering that you have a 3:00 appointment. In this instance, there may be no environmental cue, but instead time alone serves as the cue to perform a previously formed intention, meeting the appointment. The implications of PM failure can be dramatic under some conditions, especially for older adults for whom medication adherence, for example, is often an important part of daily living (Insel, Morrow, Brewer, & Figueredo, 2006;Park, Morrel, Frieske, & Kincaid, 1992 NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author ManuscriptProspective memory differs from retrospective memory (RM) in a number of ways. Although PM possesses a RM component-clearly the intention must be retained...

Fluid mechanics moderate the effect of implementation intentions on a health prospective memory task in older adults

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Prospective Memory Impairment in Mild Cognitive Impairment: An Analytical Review

“…at the occurrence of the critical event or time), they must stop performing the ongoing task and begin performing the intended action. Top-down attentional control, strategic monitoring of the external environment and/or of the time passing and shifting between concurring activities are all cognitive abilities under the control of the executive system (Knight 1998;Burgess and Shallice 1997;Carlesimo et al 2004;Marsh et al 1998;McDaniel et al 1999;McFarland and Glisky 2009;Otani et al 1997) (Fig. 1).…”

Test–retest consistency of Virtual Week: A task to investigate prospective memory

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