scholarly journals Autobiographical memory conjunction errors in younger and older adults: Evidence for a role of inhibitory ability.

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. 927-942 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleea L. Devitt ◽  
Lynette Tippett ◽  
Daniel L. Schacter ◽  
Donna Rose Addis
2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 1348-1361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly S. Giovanello ◽  
Elizabeth A. Kensinger ◽  
Alana T. Wong ◽  
Daniel L. Schacter

Human behavioral studies demonstrate that healthy aging is often accompanied by increases in memory distortions or errors. Here we used event-related fMRI to examine the neural basis of age-related memory distortions. We used the memory conjunction error paradigm, a laboratory procedure known to elicit high levels of memory errors. For older adults, right parahippocampal gyrus showed significantly greater activity during false than during accurate retrieval. We observed no regions in which activity was greater during false than during accurate retrieval for young adults. Young adults, however, showed significantly greater activity than old adults during accurate retrieval in right hippocampus. By contrast, older adults demonstrated greater activity than young adults during accurate retrieval in right inferior and middle prefrontal cortex. These data are consistent with the notion that age-related memory conjunction errors arise from dysfunction of hippocampal system mechanisms, rather than impairments in frontally mediated monitoring processes.


1999 ◽  
Vol 16 (3-5) ◽  
pp. 459-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan R. Rubin ◽  
Cyma Van Petten ◽  
Elizabeth L. Glisky ◽  
Wendy M. Newberg

Memory ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleea L. Devitt ◽  
Edwin Monk-Fromont ◽  
Daniel L. Schacter ◽  
Donna Rose Addis

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol A. Holland ◽  
Alexis Boukouvalas ◽  
Danielle Clarkesmith ◽  
Richard Cooke

Autobiographical memory specificity has been associated with cognitive function, depression, and independence in older adults. This longitudinal study of 162 older adults moving to active supported living environments tracks changes in the role of the ability to recall specific autobiographical memory as a mediator between underlying cognitive function, or depression, and outcome perceived health or independence (e.g., Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, IADLs), across 18 months, as compared with controls not moving home. Clear improvements across time in autobiographical specificity were seen for residents but not controls, supporting the role of a socially active environment, and confirmed by correlation with number of activities reported in diaries, although the impact of diary activities on the effect of time on autobiographical specificity was not found. The role of autobiographical specificity in mediating general cognition and outcome functional limitations was clear for social limitations at 12 and 18 months, but its role in mediating effects of executive function and perceived health persisted throughout. The role of specificity in mediating between depression and perceived health, IADLs, and Functional Limitations persisted throughout. Analysis examining autobiographical specificity and depression as joint mediators between cognition and independence showed a forward effect such that higher specificity scores reduced the negative mediation effect of depression on independence. Finally, data showed the reduction of many of these mediations over time, supporting the role of autobiographical memory in times of change in a person's social situation. Data support potential autobiographical memory intervention development.


GeroPsych ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Peters ◽  
Signy Sheldon

Abstract. We examined whether interindividual differences in cognitive functioning among older adults are related to episodic memory engagement during autobiographical memory retrieval. Older adults ( n = 49, 24 males; mean age = 69.93; mean education = 15.45) with different levels of cognitive functioning, estimated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), retrieved multiple memories (generation task) and the details of a single memory (elaboration task) to cues representing thematic or event-specific autobiographical knowledge. We found that the MoCA score positively predicted the proportion of specific memories for generation and episodic details for elaboration, but only to cues that represented event-specific information. The results demonstrate that individuals with healthy, but not unhealthy, cognitive status can leverage contextual support from retrieval cues to improve autobiographical specificity.


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