title: Measuring episodic memory across the lifespan: NIH Toolbox Picture Sequence Memory Test.
abstract: Episodic memory is one of the most important cognitive domains that involves acquiring, storing and recalling new information. In this article, we describe a new measure developed for the NIH Toolbox, called the Picture Sequence Memory Test (PSMT) that is the first to examine episodic memory across the age range from 3 to 85. We describe the development of the measure and present validation data for ages 20 to 85. The PSMT involves presentation of sequences of pictured objects and activities in a fixed order on a computer screen and simultaneously verbally described, that the participant must remember and then reproduce over three learning trials. The results indicate good test-retest reliability and construct validity. Performance is strongly related to well-established "gold standard" measures of episodic memory and, as expected, much less well correlated with those of a measure of vocabulary. It shows clear decline with aging in parallel with a gold standard summary measure and relates to several other demographic factors and to self-reported general health status. The PSMT appears to be a reliable and valid test of episodic memory for adults, a finding similar to those found for the same measure with children.
authors: 1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine,University of Washington,Seattle,Washington.
authors: Sureyya S
authors: SS
authors: Dikmen
authors: 2Department of Psychology,Emory University,Atlanta,Georgia.
authors: Patricia J
authors: PJ
authors: Bauer
authors: 3Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center,Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine,Chicago,Illinois.
authors: Sandra
authors: S
authors: Weintraub
authors: 4Department of Neurology,University of California,Davis,California.
authors: Dan
authors: D
authors: Mungas
authors: 5Department of Medical Social Sciences,Northwestern University,Chicago,Illinois.
authors: Jerry
authors: J
authors: Slotkin
authors: 5Department of Medical Social Sciences,Northwestern University,Chicago,Illinois.
authors: Jennifer L
authors: JL
authors: Beaumont
authors: 5Department of Medical Social Sciences,Northwestern University,Chicago,Illinois.
authors: Richard
authors: R
authors: Gershon
authors: 6Departments of Neurological Surgery and Biostatistics,University of Washington,Seattle,Washington.
authors: Nancy R
authors: NR
authors: Temkin
authors: 7Department of Psychiatry,University of California,San Diego,California.
authors: Robert K
authors: RK
authors: Heaton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D008875:Middle Aged; D009316:National Institutes of Health (U.S.); D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000592:standards*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014481:United States; D014706:Verbal Learning; D055815:Young Adult