title: Contextual memory and encoding strategies in young and older adults with and without depressive symptoms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examines the role of depressive symptoms associated with age on contextual memory and how this association could impair the use of strategic instructions during encoding.
  
  
  METHODS
  Young and older controls and older adults with depressive symptoms performed memory recognition tests for item and context.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Memory results indicated that mild depressive symptoms did not aggravate the age-related contextual memory pattern, but interfered with the magnitude of the memory enhancement provided by specific encoding instructions when compared with young adults. These between-group differences in the use of memory strategies were eliminated with the inclusion of the performance on Wisconsin Card Sorting Test as a covariate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mild depressive symptoms were associated with an impaired ability to use incidental memory strategies at encoding, suggesting the need for further investigation on the effects of non-clinical depressive symptomatology on cognitive decline in aging.
authors.affiliation: Pontifical Catholic University, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Joana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bisol Balardin
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vedana
authors.forename: Andreine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ludwig
authors.forename: Daiane Borba
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: de Lima
authors.forename: Irani
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Argimon
authors.forename: Rodolfo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Clarice
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luz
authors.forename: Nadja
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schroder
authors.forename: Elke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bromberg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001245:Association Learning; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D055815:Young Adult