Temporal memory for remote events in healthy aging and dementia.
Memory for the temporal order of term of office of 7 past U.S. presidents was examined in healthy older adults and individuals in the early stages of dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT). Among those individuals who recognized all 7 presidents, bow-shaped serial-position effects for temporal order similar to those seen in studies of short-term memory were observed for both the healthy group and the groups of individuals with dementia. Accuracy of temporal ordering decreased with increasing dementia severity. Thus, DAT affects 1 aspect of "old" memory (i.e., temporal information) even in the very early stages of the disease. Theoretical models of serial-position effects need to address remote memory as well as short-term memory.
Storandt
M
M
Department of Psychology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63130-4899, USA. mstorand@artsci.wustl.edu
Kaskie
B
B
Von Dras
D D
DD
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors