A longitudinal study of implicit and explicit memory in old persons.
Decline in explicit memory with advancing age is a common finding, but it is unclear whether implicit memory (repetition priming) declines or remains stable. Meta-analyses of studies that examined differences between extreme groups (young-old), typically at a single point in time and on a single test, suggest that a mild reduction in priming occurs with advancing age. The authors examined explicit memory and priming, on multiple tests over 4 annual data-collection waves, in a large group of older persons without dementia at baseline. Explicit memory declined significantly, but priming remained stable. Findings indicate that explicit memory and priming are dissociable on the basis of age-related change and that mildly reduced priming is not an inevitable consequence of growing older.
Fleischman
Debra A
DA
Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. Debra_Fleischman@rush.edu
Wilson
Robert S
RS
Gabrieli
John D E
JD
Bienias
Julia L
JL
Bennett
David A
DA
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D001288:Attention; D002410:Catholicism; D032882:Comprehension; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008128:Logic; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D011939:Mental Recall; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D011594:Psychometrics; D011932:Reading; D012016:Reference Values; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012153:Retention, Psychology; D013067:Speech Perception; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014706:Verbal Learning