Autobiographical Memory In Older Adults Research Articles

Nonepisodic autobiographical memory details reflect attempts to tell a good story.

A persistent finding in the autobiographical memory (AM) literature is that older adults report more nonepisodic (or generalized/semantic) information than young adults. Since studies are usually focused on memory for episodic (or specific) autobiographical events, the reason for the age difference in nonepisodic AM remains understudied. This experiment investigated whether the higher rate of nonepisodic AM in older adults reflects (a) a difference incommunicative preferences or (b) cognitive decline, by way of either an inhibition deficit or as a means of compensating for a deficit in episodic AM. A sample of 54 young (N = 28, age range = 18-46) and older (N = 26, age range = 62-86) participants retrieved the same AM twice, under two different sets of instructions: to tell a good story for their autobiography, or to provide a detailed police witness statement. Both groups reported more general details when they were aiming to tell a good story. In addition, older adults also reported fewer specific details when the aim was to tell a good story. In a separate ranking task, young and older adults differed in their perceptions of what makes a good story; young adults ranked "detail," "grammar," and "full descriptions" more highly than older adults, whereas older ranked "linking ideas" and "explaining not just describing" more highly than young adults. The results suggest that age-related differences in nonepisodic AM might be explained by communicative preferences rather than cognitive decline. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Improving older adults' autobiographical memory through video-conferencing intervention during COVID-19.

Autobiographical memory (AM) is valuable not only as an indicator of mental health and cognitive function, but also as a target of therapeutic intervention for older adults. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for online psychosocial interventions and assessment services has sharply increased. Thus, the present study examined the effectiveness of videoconferencing AM (vAM) intervention using the Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) method in addition to the traditional paper-and-pencil assessment among samples of community dwelling older adults. Twenty-seven older adults (aged 66-86years) participated in a vAM intervention composed of 4 weekly 90-min sessions. The primary outcome was AM specificity, with secondary outcomes as depressive symptom and cognitive function, measured before and after the intervention. In addition, daily emotions were measured through EMA over 4weeks of intervention. The EMA data were analyzed using a multilevel analysis. The results showed low dropout rates (7%) and high EMA response rates (85%). Autobiographical memory specificity increased (Cohen's d=0.678), and the level of depression declined significantly (Cohen's d=0.375) after the program. Additionally, measures assessing cognitive function, such as Seoul Verbal Learning Test and DSC (Digit Symbol Coding), showed significant improvements. The EMA results indicated a decrease in the intensity and proportion of negative emotions experienced during the program. This study is the first to utilize videoconferencing and EMA to deliver an AM intervention targeting older adults. The intervention was effective in improving mental health and cognitive function, including AM in older adults. Additionally, EMA was found to be a feasible tool for use in older adults.

Odors Associated With Autobiographical Memory Induce Visual Imagination of Emotional Scenes as Well as Orbitofrontal-Fusiform Activation.

Specific odors can induce memories of the past, especially those associated with autobiographical and episodic memory. Odors associated with autobiographical memories have been found to elicit stronger activation in the orbitofrontal cortex, hippocampus, and parahippocampus compared with odors not linked to personal memories. Here, we examined whether continuous odor stimuli associated with autobiographical memories could activate the above olfactory areas in older adults and speculated regarding whether this odor stimulation could have a protective effect against age-related cognitive decline. Specifically, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the relationship between blood oxygen levels in olfactory regions and odor-induced subjective memory retrieval and emotions associated with autobiographical memory in older adults. In our group of healthy older adults, the tested odors induced autobiographical memories that were accompanied by increasing levels of retrieval and the feeling of being “brought back in time.” The strength of the subjective feelings, including vividness of the memory and degree of comfort, impacted activation of the left fusiform gyrus and left posterior orbitofrontal cortex. Further, our path model suggested that the strength of memory retrieval and of the emotions induced by odor-evoked autobiographical memories directly influenced neural changes in the left fusiform gyrus, and impacted left posterior orbitofrontal cortex activation through the left fusiform response.

The Impact of Reminiscence on Autobiographical Memory, Cognition and Psychological Well-Being in Healthy Older Adults.

Reminiscence therapy has improved autobiographical memory in older adults with memory impairment. However, there has been a relative lack of research examining the impact of reminiscence interventions on healthy older adults, despite the fact that healthy ageing has been associated with a reduction in episodic autobiographical memory. The current study examined the effects of a semi-structured reminiscence program, compared to a no-intervention control and an active control group focused on current life, in healthy older adults. Before and after reminiscence or control, we assessed episodic and semantic autobiographical memory, as well as reliving of the memory and re-experiencing the emotion associated with the memory. We also examined new learning and executive function, as well as quality of life, satisfaction with life, anxiety, depression, and mood. The reminiscence intervention did not lead to a differing impact on autobiographical memory, cognition or psychological well-being, compared to the control groups. The current results indicate that simple reminiscence does not lead to enhanced autobiographical memory performance in healthy older adults.

Neural correlates of retrieval-based enhancement of autobiographical memory in older adults

Lifelog photo review is considered to enhance the recall of personal events. While a sizable body of research has explored the neural basis of autobiographical memory (AM), there is limited neural evidence on the retrieval-based enhancement effect on event memory among older adults in the real-world environment. This study examined the neural processes of AM as was modulated by retrieval practice through lifelog photo review in older adults. In the experiment, blood-oxygen-level dependent response during subjects’ recall of recent events was recorded, where events were cued by photos that may or may not have been exposed to a priori retrieval practice (training). Subjects remembered more episodic details under the trained relative to non-trained condition. Importantly, the neural correlates of AM was exhibited by (1) dissociable cortical areas related to recollection and familiarity, and (2) a positive correlation between the amount of recollected episodic details and cortical activation within several lateral temporal and parietal regions. Further analysis of the brain activation pattern at a few regions of interest within the core remember network showed a training_condition × event_detail interaction effect, suggesting that the boosting effect of retrieval practice depended on the level of recollected event details.

Improving specific autobiographical memory in older adults: impacts on mood, social problem solving, and functional limitations

ABSTRACTOlder adults have difficulty recalling specific autobiographical events. This over-general memory style is a vulnerability factor for depression. Two groups receiving interventions that have previously been successful at reducing over-general memory in depressed populations were compared to a control group. Participants were healthy older adults aged ≥70 years: memory specificity training (MEST; n = 22), life review (n = 22), and control group (n = 22). There were significant improvements in autobiographical memory specificity in the MEST and life review groups at post-training, relative to the control group, suggesting that over-general memory can be reduced in older adults. Change in social problem solving ability and functional limitations were related to change in autobiographical memory specificity, supporting the suggested role of specific retrieval in generating solutions to social problems and maintaining independence. Qualitative analysis of participants’ feedback revealed that life review may be more appropriate for older adults, possibly because it involves integrating specific memories into a positive narrative.

Brief report: The relationship between post‐traumatic stress disorder symptoms and overgeneral autobiographical memory in older adults

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and autobiographical memory specificity in older adults.MethodOlder adult trauma survivors (N = 23) completed the Autobiographical Memory Test, Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale, and Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination‐Revised.ResultsWhen cognitive ability was partialled out, the relationship between PTSD symptoms and reduced autobiographical memory specificity was significant. Specifically, the relationships between reliving symptoms and avoidance symptoms correlated significantly with reduced autobiographical memory specificity. There was no significant relationship between hyperarousal symptoms and reduced autobiographical memory specificity.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that similar to other populations, PTSD symptoms are also associated with reduced autobiographical memory specificity in older adults.

A randomized clinical trial of a writing workshop intervention to improve autobiographical memory and well‐being in older adults

Despite much research on methods to improve new learning and memory in old age, there is virtually no literature on the improvement of autobiographical memory (AM). The present study assessed the effectiveness of a structured autobiographical writing workshop for improving AM, mood and self-concept in older adults. Fifty-one nondemented older adults (67-96 years) participated. AM was assessed with the Autobiographical Memory Interview (AMI) and the Remote Memory Word Association Task (RMWAT). After completing baseline (BL) testing, participants were randomized to a structured autobiographical writing workshop, a reminiscence group (active control condition) or a no-treatment control group. Follow-up testing was completed at 8 and 34 weeks after BL. Repeated measures ANOVAs failed to reveal a group-by-time interaction for any of the autobiographical memory (AM) measures. Across groups, there was a decrease in number of mid- and late-life events reported (on the AMI), and memories tended to be less detailed (on the RMWAT) although more pleasant memories were reported with repeated testing. Mood remained unchanged; ratings of self-concept improved across all groups. This is the first study of its kind to use a randomized group design to test an intervention for AM in older adults. In general, our specific intervention was ineffective for increasing recall from one's life story, mood or self-concept. Methodological limitations and suggestions for future investigation are discussed.

Effects of sad mood on autobiographical memory in older adults with and without lifetime depression

The main objective of this study was to determine whether reduced autobiographical memory specificity is also a marker for depression in older adults. To answer this question two experiments and a prospective longitudinal clinical study were executed with the autobiographical memory task (AMT) as measure for memory specificity. The objective of the 1st experimental study was to assess the influence of a negative mood induction versus the effect of multiple testing in a neutral condition in 58 never depressed (ND) elderly. In the 2nd experimental study a negative mood was induced in 63 participants remitted from depression (RD) compared to 60 matched ND controls. All participants were 55 and older. Lastly, the predictive value of the AMT for the course of depressive symptoms was assessed in the RD individuals over a 14-17 months follow-up (FU) period. Performance did not improve with repeated testing, but a trend was found suggesting fatigue. There was no difference between the RD and ND group on baseline AMT. The mood induction had no effect on the AMT regardless of clinical history. Changes in the level of depressive symptoms at the 14-month FU were predicted by residual symptoms at baseline and the number of previous depressive episode, but not by baseline AMT, changes in AMT or mood after mood induction. The results of this study suggest that memory specificity on the AMT may not be a useful marker for vulnerability for clinical depression in older adults.

Ageing and autobiographical memory for emotional and neutral events

We investigated age-related effects in recall of emotional and neutral autobiographical memories. Protocols were scored according to episodic and non-episodic detail categories using the Autobiographical Interview. Young adults recalled a greater number of episodic details compared to older adults, whereas older adults recalled more semantic details, replicating previous findings. Both young and older adults’ emotional memories contained more overall detail than neutral ones, with the enhancement from emotion-specific to episodic details, but this did not alter the effect of age group on the pattern of episodic and semantic details. However, the age effect on episodic details was attenuated for neutral autobiographical memories. The findings suggest that age differences for emotional autobiographical recollection might reflect a more general pattern of age-related changes in memory, with impaired recall of episodic components and relative sparing of semantic aspects of autobiographical memory in older adults when compared to young adults.