title: An object location memory paradigm for older adults with and without mild cognitive impairment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Object-location memory is critical in every-day life and known to deteriorate early in the course of neurodegenerative disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  We adapted the previously established learning paradigm "LOCATO" for use in healthy older adults and patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Pictures of real-life buildings were associated with positions on a two-dimensional street map by repetitions of "correct" object-location pairings over the course of five training blocks, followed by a recall task. Correct/incorrect associations were indicated by button presses. The original two 45-item sets were reduced to 15 item-sets, and tested in healthy older adults and MCI for learning curve, recall, and re-test effects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The two 15-item versions showed comparable learning curves and recall scores within each group. While learning curves increased linearly in both groups, MCI patients performed significantly worse on learning and recall compared to healthy controls. Re-testing after 6 month showed small practice effects only.
  
  
  METHODS
  LOCATO is a simple standardized task that overcomes several limitation of previously employed visuospatial task by using real-life stimuli, minimizing verbal encoding, avoiding fine motor responses, combining explicit and implicit statistical learning, and allowing to assess learning curve in addition to recall.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results show that the shortened version of LOCATO meets the requirements for a robust and ecologically meaningful assessment of object-location memory in older adults with and without MCI. It can now be used to systematically assess acquisition of object-location memory and its modulation through adjuvant therapies like pharmacological or non-invasive brain stimulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Neurocure Clinical Research Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: nadine.kuelzow@charite.de.
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Külzow
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kerti
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Neurocure Clinical Research Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Veronica A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Witte
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kopp
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Breitenstein
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Neurocure Clinical Research Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Center for Stroke Research Berlin, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: agnes.floeel@charite.de.
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Flöel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013037:Spatial Behavior / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Ageing; Associative learning; Cognitive mild impairment; Non-invasive brain stimulation; Transcranial direct current stimulation; Visuospatial memory