title: Ill-defined problem solving in amnestic mild cognitive impairment: linking episodic memory to effective solution generation.
abstract: It is well accepted that the medial temporal lobes (MTL), and the hippocampus specifically, support episodic memory processes. Emerging evidence suggests that these processes also support the ability to effectively solve ill-defined problems which are those that do not have a set routine or solution. To test the relation between episodic memory and problem solving, we examined the ability of individuals with single domain amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), a condition characterized by episodic memory impairment, to solve ill-defined social problems. Participants with aMCI and age and education matched controls were given a battery of tests that included standardized neuropsychological measures, the Autobiographical Interview (Levine et al., 2002) that scored for episodic content in descriptions of past personal events, and a measure of ill-defined social problem solving. Corroborating previous findings, the aMCI group generated less episodically rich narratives when describing past events. Individuals with aMCI also generated less effective solutions when solving ill-defined problems compared to the control participants. Correlation analyses demonstrated that the ability to recall episodic elements from autobiographical memories was positively related to the ability to effectively solve ill-defined problems. The ability to solve these ill-defined problems was related to measures of activities of daily living. In conjunction with previous reports, the results of the present study point to a new functional role of episodic memory in ill-defined goal-directed behavior and other non-memory tasks that require flexible thinking. Our findings also have implications for the cognitive and behavioural profile of aMCI by suggesting that the ability to effectively solve ill-defined problems is related to sustained functional independence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, McGill University 1205 Dr. Penfield Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1B1. Electronic address: signy.sheldon@mcgill.ca.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sheldon
authors.affiliation: Baycrest Health Sciences, 3560 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6A 2E1.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vandermorris
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3J 1P3.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al-Haj
authors.affiliation: Toronto Memory Program, 1 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3B 2S7.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.affiliation: Baycrest Health Sciences, 3560 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6A 2E1; Department of Psychology, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada K9J 7B8; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G3.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Winocur
authors.affiliation: Baycrest Health Sciences, 3560 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6A 2E1; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G3.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moscovitch
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000647:Amnesia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Episodic memory; Medial temporal lobes; Mild cognitive impairment; Problem solving