Semantic encoding of spoken sentences: Adult aging and the preservation of conceptual short-term memory

Traditional models of human memory have postulated the need for a brief phonological or verbatim representation of verbal input as a necessary gateway to a higher level conceptual representation of the input. Potter has argued that meaningful sentences may be encoded directly in a conceptual short-term memory (CSTM) running parallel in time to such a phonological store. The primary aim of the current study was to evaluate two main tenets of the CSTM model: that linguistic context biases selection of information entering the conceptual store, and that information not integrated into a coherent structure is rapidly forgotten. Results confirmed these predictions for spoken sentences heard by both young and older adults, supporting the generality of the model and suggesting that CSTM remains stable in normal aging.

Download Full-text

Specific impairments in visuospatial working and short-term memory following low-dose scopolamine challenge in healthy older adults

Neuropsychologia ◽

10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2008.04.010 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 46 (10) ◽

pp. 2476-2484 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Elizabeth Thomas ◽

Peter J. Snyder ◽

Robert H. Pietrzak ◽

Colleen E. Jackson ◽

Martin Bednar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Low Dose ◽

Short Term Memory ◽

Short Term ◽

Term Memory ◽

Healthy Older Adults

Download Full-text

Visual Short-Term Memory, Age, and Imaging Ability

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.1978.46.2.571 ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 46 (2) ◽

pp. 571-576 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

J. K. Adamowicz

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Visual Masking ◽

Short Term Memory ◽

Stimulus Complexity ◽

Verbal Intelligence ◽

Response Delay ◽

Short Term ◽

Term Memory ◽

Visual Short Term Memory ◽

Age Related

Visual short-term memory of young and older adults was studied in relation to imaging ability. Both recall and recognition memory tasks were used and additional variables included stimulus complexity and response delay (recognition tasks) and stimulus complexity and visual masking (recall tasks). Young and older participants were matched on visual discrimination, verbal intelligence, and imaging ability. Stimuli consisted of abstract visual patterns. Age-related decrements in recognition and recall were observed but performance was related to imaging ability only with recall tasks and only for older adults. The results were discussed with reference to mediational strategies and locus of occurrence of age-related decrements in short-term memory.

Download Full-text

Retrospective Attention in Short-Term Memory Has a Lasting Effect on Long-Term Memory Across Age

The Journals of Gerontology Series B ◽

10.1093/geronb/gby045 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 74 (8) ◽

pp. 1317-1325 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jonathan Strunk ◽

Lauren Morgan ◽

Sarah Reaves ◽

Paul Verhaeghen ◽

Audrey Duarte

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Young Adults ◽

Healthy Aging ◽

Short Term Memory ◽

Effective Means ◽

Long Term Memory ◽

Short Term ◽

Term Memory ◽

Short And Long Term

Abstract Objectives Declines in both short- and long-term memory are typical of healthy aging. Recent findings suggest that retrodictive attentional cues (“retro-cues”) that indicate the location of to-be-probed items in short-term memory (STM) have a lasting impact on long-term memory (LTM) performance in young adults. Whether older adults can also use retro-cues to facilitate both STM and LTM is unknown. Method Young and older adults performed a visual STM task in which spatially informative retro-cues or noninformative neutral-cues were presented during STM maintenance of real-world objects. We tested participants’ memory at both STM and LTM delays for objects that were previously cued with retrodictive or neutral-cues during STM order to measure the lasting impact of retrospective attention on LTM. Results Older adults showed reduced STM and LTM capacity compared to young adults. However, they showed similar magnitude retro-cue memory benefits as young adults at both STM and LTM delays. Discussion To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate whether retro-cues in STM facilitate the encoding of objects into LTM such that they are more likely to be subsequently retrieved by older adults. Our results support the idea that retrospective attention can be an effective means by which older adults can improve their STM and LTM performance, even in the context of reduced memory capacity.

Download Full-text

Real-time Recognition of Interleaved Activities Based on Ensemble Classifier of Long Short-Term Memory with Fuzzy Temporal Windows

Proceedings ◽

10.3390/proceedings2191225 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2 (19) ◽

pp. 1225 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Javier Quero ◽

Claire Orr ◽

Shuai Zang ◽

Chris Nugent ◽

Alberto Salguero ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Short Term Memory ◽

Ensemble Classifier ◽

Short Term ◽

Time Activity ◽

Term Memory ◽

Binary Sensor ◽

Long Short Term Memory ◽

Temporal Windows ◽

Selection Of

In this paper, we present a methodology for Real-Time Activity Recognition of Interleaved Activities based on Fuzzy Logic and Recurrent Neural Networks. Firstly, we propose a representation of binary-sensor activations based on multiple Fuzzy Temporal Windows. Secondly, an ensemble of activity-based classifiers for balanced training and selection of relevant sensors is proposed. Each classifier is configured as a Long Short-Term Memory with self-reliant detection of interleaved activities. The proposed approach was evaluated using well-known interleaved binary-sensor datasets comprised of activities of daily living.

Download Full-text

Subjective memory impairment, instrumental activities of daily living and longitudinal effect on mortality among older adults in a population-based cohort study: The HUNT Study

Scandinavian Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1177/1403494819885234 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 48 (8) ◽

pp. 825-831 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Gro Gujord Tangen ◽

Ellen Melbye Langballe ◽

Bjørn Heine Strand

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Mortality Risk ◽

Daily Living ◽

Short Term Memory ◽

Population Based ◽

Short Term ◽

Subjective Memory ◽

Term Memory ◽

Memory Impairments ◽

Instrumental Activities

Background: Subjective impairment in memory and instrumental activities in daily living (IADL) are associated with future cognitive decline and poorer mental health in older adults, but their association with mortality is uncertain. Our aim was to examine the associations between subjective memory and IADL impairments and all-cause mortality, as well as the mortality risk for reporting both memory and IADL impairments. Methods: Data from the 70-year-old and older cohort in the third survey of a population-based study, the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT3), were linked to the Norwegian Causes of Death Registry. A total of 5802 older adults had complete data from HUNT3 (70.8% of the 70+ cohort). The mean follow-up time was 8.0 years, and 1870 respondents had died. Associations between subjective memory and ADL impairments with mortality were analysed in Cox regression models adjusted for covariates with attained age as the timescale. Analyses were performed separately for two age groups – 70–79 and 80+ years – to fulfil the proportional hazards assumption. Results: Subjective impairments in short-term memory and IADL were significantly associated with mortality both separately and combined. These associations were strongest in the 70- to 79-year-old group, where reporting impairment on one short-term memory item increased the mortality risk by 51% (hazard ratio=1.51; 95% confidence interval 1.20–1.91). Long-term memory impairments were not associated with mortality in the adjusted models. Conclusions: Subjective short-term memory impairments and IADL impairments are associated with increased mortality risk. Neither of these symptoms should be regarded as benign aspects of ageing, and concerns should be properly addressed.

Download Full-text

Comparison of cognitive functions among frail and prefrail older adults: a clinical perspective

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610218000765 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 31 (2) ◽

pp. 297-301 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Bárbara Bispo da Silva Alves ◽

Elizabete de Oliveira Barbosa ◽

Daniel de Moraes Pimentel ◽

Lara S. F. Carneiro ◽

Ana Carolina M. A. Rodrigues ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Functions ◽

Short Term Memory ◽

Digit Span ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

P Value ◽

Older Individuals ◽

Short Term ◽

Term Memory ◽

Global Cognition

ABSTRACTObjective:To compare cognitive function among frail and prefrail older adults.Design:Cross-sectional clinical study.Participants:Fifty-one non-institutionalized older individuals participated in this study.Measurements:Cognitive functions were evaluated through Mini-Mental State Examination (Global Cognition), Digit Span Forward (short-term memory), Digit Span Backward (working memory), Verbal Fluency Test (semantic memory/executive function). Data were compared using parametric and non-parametric bivariate tests. Binary logistic regression was used to test a frailty prediction model. Statistical significance was defined as p ≤ 0.01 to compare groups. In the regression model, the p value was set to be ≤0.05.Results:Statistically significant differences were observed in global cognition, and short-term memory between frail and prefrail individuals (p ≤ 0.01). Global cognition explained 14–19% of frailty's model.Conclusion:According to our findings, the evaluation of cognitive functions among older persons with frailty and prefrailty provides important complementary information to better manage frailty and its progression.

Download Full-text

Selection of Multiple Cued Items Is Possible During Visual Short-Term Memory Maintenance

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e633262013-312 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

Michi Matsukura ◽

Shaun P. Vecera

Keyword(s):

Short Term Memory ◽

Short Term ◽

Term Memory ◽

Visual Short Term Memory ◽

Selection Of

Download Full-text

Disruption Effects in Human Short-Term Memory: Some Negative Findings

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.1968.27.2.575 ◽

1968 ◽

Vol 27 (2) ◽

pp. 575-582 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Walter Sloboda ◽

Edward E. Smith

Keyword(s):

Retention Interval ◽

White Noise ◽

Present Experiment ◽

Short Term Memory ◽

Human Memory ◽

Short Term ◽

Term Memory ◽

Negative Findings ◽

Temporal Location ◽

Central Level

Previous research has demonstrated that white noise disrupts human memory if it is administered with the to-be-remembered material. The present experiment investigated the effects of a 2-sec. burst of white noise on memory when it was administered during the retention interval (RI). Ss attempted to recall 7 digits after a 2- or 12-sec. RI. For the 2-sec. RI white noise was either present or absent. For the 12-sec. RI white noise occurred either during the first 2 sec., the middle 2 sec., the last 2 sec., or not at all. The results indicated that neither the temporal location nor even the presence of white noise had any effect on recall and that these negative findings could not be attributed to Ss filtering out the white noise at an autonomic or central level.

Download Full-text