Simple and Complex Rule Induction Performance in Young and Older Adults: Contribution of Episodic Memory and Working Memory

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 333-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joukje M. Oosterman ◽  
Merle S. Boeschoten ◽  
Paul A.T. Eling ◽  
Roy P.C. Kessels ◽  
Joseph H.R. Maes
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Executive Control ◽  
Rule Induction ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Memory Switching ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Neuropsychological Predictors

AbstractThis study tested the hypothesis that part of the age-related decline in performance on executive function tasks is due to a decline in episodic memory. For this, we developed a rule induction task in which we manipulated the involvement of episodic memory and executive control processes; age effects and neuropsychological predictors of task performance were investigated. Twenty-six younger (mean age, 24.0; range, 19–35 years) and 27 community-dwelling older adults (mean age, 67.5; range, 50–91 years) participated. The neuropsychological predictors consisted of the performance on tests of episodic memory, working memory, switching, inhibition and flexibility. Performance of the older adults was worse for the learning and memorization of simple rules, as well as for the more demanding executive control condition requiring the manipulation of informational content. Episodic memory was the only predictor of performance on the simple learning and memorization task condition whereas an increase in rule induction complexity additionally engaged working memory processes. Together, these findings indicate that part of the age-related decline on rule induction tests may be the result of a decline in episodic memory. Further studies are needed that examine the role of episodic memory in other executive function tasks in aging. (JINS, 2014, 20, 1–9)

scholarly journals Revisiting the Age-Prospective Memory Paradox Using Laboratory and Ecological Tasks

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Wen Koo ◽  
David L. Neumann ◽  
Tamara Ownsworth ◽  
David H. K. Shum
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Prospective Memory ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Cognitive Factors ◽  
Future Time ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽  
Age Related Changes

Prospective memory (PM) is the ability to perform a planned action at a future time. Older adults have shown moderate declines in PM, which are thought to be driven by age-related changes in the prefrontal cortex. However, an age-PM paradox is often reported, whereby deficits are evident in laboratory-based PM tasks, but not naturalistic PM tasks. The key aims of this study were to: (1) examine the age-PM paradox using the same sample across laboratory and ecological settings; and (2) determine whether self-reported PM and cognitive factors such as working memory and IQ are associated PM performance. Two PM tasks were administered (ecological vs. laboratory) to a sample of 23 community-dwelling older adults (Mage = 72.30, SDage = 5.62) and 28 young adults (Mage = 20.18, SDage = 3.30). Participants also completed measures of general cognitive function, working memory, IQ, and self-reported memory. Our results did not support the existence of the age-PM paradox. Strong age effects across both laboratory and ecological PM tasks were observed in which older adults consistently performed worse on the PM tasks than young adults. In addition, PM performance was significantly associated with self-reported PM measures in young adults. For older adults, IQ was associated with time-based PM. These findings suggest that the age-PM paradox is more complex than first thought and there are differential predictors of PM performance for younger and older adults.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Episodic and Lexical Metamemory and Executive Function in Healthy Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 704-705
Author(s):  
Atsuko Hayashi
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Stroop Task ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Lexical Memory ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Self Evaluation ◽  
Age Related

Abstract In older adults, it is important to maintain awareness of memory as well as memory performance. However, it is not clear whether the awareness of episodic and lexical memory changes with age and is related to self-evaluation of memory and executive function. Here age-related changes and the relationship between metamemory, executive function, and metamemory scale were investigated. Healthy old (n=40) and young (n=34) groups participated in this study. In the episodic memory task, participants were asked to memorize ten Kanji words and to estimate the number of words they could recall after ten minutes. In the lexical memory task, they rated the likelihood that they could write a target Kanji word written in hiragana and then wrote them down. They were also asked to complete the metamemory in adulthood(MIA) and the position stroop task. In the episodic and lexical memory and the position stroop task and MIA subscales, the performances of the younger group were significantly better than those of the older group. In the episodic memory task, there were correlations between the metamemory and MIA subscales in both groups, but in the lexical memory task, only in the old group. No correlation was found between the results of both memory tasks and the stroop test. These results suggest that older people overestimate memory performances in the episodic and lexical memory tasks and metamemory performances may be associated with self-evaluation of memory. In addition, metamemory might not be related to frontal lobe function as shown in executive function tasks.

scholarly journals A New Brief Measure of Executive Function: Adapting the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders Task to Older Adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. e258-e267
Author(s):  
Eric S Cerino ◽  
Karen Hooker ◽  
Robert S Stawski ◽  
Megan McClelland
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Subjective Health ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Behavioral Measure ◽  
Positive And Negative Affect ◽  
Age Related

Abstract Background and Objectives Executive function (EF) abilities are recognized as components of cognition most likely to show age-related declines. Measurement of EF in older adults is often computer-based, takes place in a laboratory setting, and thus lacks ecological validity. We sought to investigate a new way of measuring EF in older adults by adapting a brief, behavioral measure of EF in children, the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task (HTKS). Research Design and Methods A sample of 150 community-dwelling older adults (Mean age = 68.55, SD = 6.34) completed the HTKS, NIH Toolbox: Cognition Battery (NIHTB-CB) and Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Results The HTKS showed adequate internal consistency, α = .84. Significant associations between HTKS variables and measures of attention and inhibitory control were robust to the influences of age, processing speed, and subjective health ratings. HTKS completion time exhibited the strongest associations to NIHTB-CB measures, suggesting that the time it takes older adults to complete the HTKS may be a better measure of EF than the total score. Nonsignificant associations between HTKS variables and positive and negative affect demonstrated discriminant validity. Discussion and Implications These results provide initial evidence for use of the HTKS as a brief, low-cost, easy to administer measure of EF in older adults. Further research is needed to determine its potential to identify individuals at risk for poor cognitive outcomes. A brief, valid measure may allow for wider screenings aimed at early intervention, when cognitive interventions are most effective.

Sleep Mediates Age-Related Executive Function for Older Adults with Limited Cognitive Reserve

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Denise Parker ◽  
Romola S. Bucks ◽  
Stephanie R. Rainey-Smith ◽  
Erica Hodgson ◽  
Lara Fine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Cognitive Reserve ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Sleep Quantity ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Objective: Sleep quantity and quality are associated with executive function (EF) in experimental studies, and in individuals with sleep disorders. With advancing age, sleep quantity and quality decline, as does the ability to perform EF tasks, suggesting that sleep disruption may contribute to age-related EF declines. This cross-sectional cohort study tested the hypothesis that poorer sleep quality (i.e., the frequency and duration of awakenings) and/or quantity may partly account for age-related EF deficits. Method: Community-dwelling older adults (N = 184) completed actigraphic sleep monitoring then a range of EF tasks. Two EF factors were extracted using exploratory structural equation modeling. Sleep variables did not mediate the relationship between age and EF factors. Post hoc moderated mediation analyses were conducted to test whether cognitive reserve compensates for sleep-related EF deficits, using years of education as a proxy measure of cognitive reserve. Results: We found a significant interaction between cognitive reserve and the number and frequency of awakenings, explaining a small (approximately 3%), but significant amount of variance in EF. Specifically, in individuals with fewer than 11 years of education, greater sleep disturbance was associated with poorer EF, but sleep did not impact EF in those with more education. There was no association between age and sleep quantity. Conclusions: This study highlights the role of cognitive reserve in the sleep–EF relationship, suggesting individuals with greater cognitive reserve may be able to counter the impact of disturbed sleep on EF. Therefore, improving sleep may confer some protection against EF deficits in vulnerable older adults.

scholarly journals Family Relationships and Cognitive Function Among Community-Dwelling U.S. Chinese Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-46
Author(s):  
Mengting Li ◽  
Man Guo ◽  
Meredith Stensland ◽  
XinQi Dong
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Sociocultural Factors ◽  
Global Cognition

A broad literature has explored racial disparities in cognitive aging. Research incorporating sociocultural factors would provide a more comprehensive understanding of minority aging. This study aims to investigate the role of family typology in cognition among U.S. Chinese immigrants. Data were derived from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago (PINE). Family typology included tight-knit, unobligated ambivalent, commanding conflicted, and detached typologies. Cognition was evaluated by global cognition, episodic memory, working memory, executive function, and mini-mental state examination (MMSE). Linear and quantile regressions were used. Older adults with detached and commanding conflicted typologies reported lower global cognition than those with unobligated ambivalent typology. Detached, commanding conflicted, and tight-knit typologies were associated with poorer performance in episodic memory, working memory and MMSE than unobligated ambivalent typology, respectively. Social service providers could be aware of multifaceted family relationships when developing interventions for cognitive function and understand family typology as a whole.

scholarly journals Semantic Relatedness Corrects the Age-Related Binding Deficit in Working Memory and Episodic Memory

2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (9) ◽  
pp. 1841-1849 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa M Loaiza ◽  
Sabina Srokova
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Semantic Relatedness ◽  
Item Memory ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Long Term Retention

Abstract Objectives It is well known that age differentially impacts aspects of long-term episodic memory (EM): Whereas a binding deficit indicates that older adults are less capable than younger adults to encode or retrieve associations between information (e.g., the pairing between two memoranda, such as lock – race), item memory is relatively intact (e.g., recognizing lock without its original pairing). Method We tested whether this deficit could be corrected by facilitating establishment of the bindings in working memory (WM) through adapting the semantic relatedness of studied pairs according to participants’ ongoing performance (Experiments 1 and 2). We also examined whether this was evident for the long-term retention of pairs that were not tested in WM (Experiment 2). Results The results revealed matched binding and item memory in WM and EM between age groups. Most importantly, older adults required increased semantic strength between word pairs to achieve similar performance to that of younger adults, regardless of whether pairs were immediately tested during the WM task. Discussion These findings indicate that relying on their superior semantic memory can correct the commonly exhibited profound deficit in binding memory in older age.

scholarly journals Frontal White Matter Hyperintensities and Executive Functioning Performance in Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emanuel M. Boutzoukas ◽  
Andrew O'Shea ◽  
Alejandro Albizu ◽  
Nicole D. Evangelista ◽  
Hanna K. Hausman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Frontal Lobe ◽  
White Matter Hyperintensities ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Cardiovascular Disease Risk ◽  
Set Shifting ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Age Related

Frontal lobe structures decline faster than most other brain regions in older adults. Age-related change in the frontal lobe is associated with poorer executive function (e.g., working memory, switching/set-shifting, and inhibitory control). The effects and presence of frontal lobe white matter hyperintensities (WMH) on executive function in normal aging is relatively unknown. The current study assessed relationships between region-specific frontal WMH load and cognitive performance in healthy older adults using three executive function tasks from the NIH Toolbox (NIHTB) Cognition Battery. A cohort of 279 healthy older adults ages 65–88 completed NIHTB and 3T T1-weighted and FLAIR MRI. Lesion Segmentation Toolbox quantified WMH volume and generated lesion probability maps. Individual lesion maps were registered to the Desikan-Killiany atlas in FreeSurfer 6.0 to define regions of interest (ROI). Independent linear regressions assessed relationships between executive function performance and region-specific WMH in frontal lobe ROIs. All models included age, sex, education, estimated total intracranial volume, multi-site scanner differences, and cardiovascular disease risk using Framingham criteria as covariates. Poorer set-shifting performance was associated with greater WMH load in three frontal ROIs including bilateral superior frontal (left β = −0.18, FDR-p = 0.02; right β = −0.20, FDR-p = 0.01) and right medial orbitofrontal (β = −0.17, FDR-p = 0.02). Poorer inhibitory performance associated with higher WMH load in one frontal ROI, the right superior frontal (right β = −0.21, FDR-p = 0.01). There were no significant associations between working memory and WMH in frontal ROIs. Our study demonstrates that location and pattern of frontal WMH may be important to assess when examining age-related differences in cognitive functions involving switching/set-shifting and inhibition. On the other hand, working memory performance was not related to presence of frontal WMH in this sample. These data suggest that WMH may contribute selectively to age-related declines in executive function. Findings emerged beyond predictors known to be associated with WMH presence, including age and cardiovascular disease risk. The spread of WMH within the frontal lobes may play a key role in the neuropsychological profile of cognitive aging. Further research should explore whether early intervention on modifiable vascular factors or cognitive interventions targeted for executive abilities may help mitigate the effect of frontal WMH on executive function.

scholarly journals Dual tasking interferes with dynamic balance in young and old healthy adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-162
Author(s):  
Amal Al-Shaikh Sulaiman ◽  
Marie Kelly ◽  
Mairead O’Connor ◽  
Doris Eva-Bamiou ◽  
Marousa Pavlou
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Dynamic Balance ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Functional Mobility ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Dual Tasking ◽  
Falls Risk ◽  
Age Related

BACKGROUND: Functional mobility requires an ability to adapt to environmental factors together with an ability to execute a secondary task simultaneously while walking. A complex dual-tasking gait test may provide an indication of functional ability and falls risk among community-dwelling older adults. PURPOSE: The aim of this cross-sectional study is to investigate age-related differences in dual-tasking ability and to evaluate whether dual-tasking ability is related to executive function. METHODS: Forty-one community-dwelling healthy older and forty-one younger adults completed a dual-tasking assessment in which concurrent tasks were incorporated into the Functional Gait Assessment (FGA). The manual dual-task involved carrying a glass of water (FGA-M) while the cognitive dual-tasks involved numeracy (FGA-N) and literacy (FGA-L) related tasks. FGA scores under single (FGA-S) and dual-task conditions together with associated dual-task costs and response accuracy were determined. Executive function was assessed using The Behavioural Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome (BADS). RESULTS: FGA-N and FGA-L scores were adversely affected in both groups compared to FGA-S (p≤0.001). However, score reductions and dual-task costs were significantly greater for older adults compared to younger adults on FGA-N (p≤0.05) and FGA-L (p≤0.001), with older adult performance on FGA-N associated with falls risk (p≤0.05). Executive function did not appear to be related to dual-tasking ability. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that cognitively demanding tasks while walking, have a deleterious effect on dynamic balance and could place older adults at a greater risk of falls.

Art Attendance and Change in Cognitive Function Among U.S. Community-Dwelling Chinese Older Adults

2021 ◽  
pp. 073346482110173
Author(s):  
Darina V. Petrovsky ◽  
Bei Wu ◽  
Nancy A. Hodgson ◽  
XinQi Dong
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Chinese Older Adults ◽  
Art Activities ◽  
The Relationship

Engaging in leisure activities that are cognitively simulating and enjoyable may be protective against cognitive decline in older adults; yet, few studies have examined this topic. We used two waves of data from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly and ran mixed-effects regression models to examine the relationship between baseline art activity attendance (including attending museum, musical arts, or both) and change in cognitive function (global, episodic memory, working memory, and executive function) among 2,703 older U.S. Chinese adults. We found that compared with older adults who did not attend any art activities, those who reported attending both art activities experienced a slower rate of change in episodic memory (estimate = −0.07; SE = 0.03; p = .01) and executive function (estimate = −0.06; SE = .03; p = .04). Our study findings point to the importance of attending art-based culture events among U.S. Chinese older adults.

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