Episodic Memory

Additionally, to further support these theories, researchers tend to conduct studies on the famous patient case, HM, to propose the consolidation deficit theory, in which those with amnesia cannot turn short-term memories into long-term memories (Dewar et al., 2010). However, researchers Dewar, Della Sala, Beschin, and Cowan (2010), mentioned that HM’s case does not fully explain why a patient with anterograde amnesia has the ability to get better at cognitive tasks despite being unable to recall having performed those tasks at a previous time. On the same hand, Duff, Wszalek, Tranel, and Cohen (2008) mentioned that most individuals with anterograde amnesia experience heightened intelligence, attention, skill, and reasoning levels (procedural memory).

Research has long proven demonstrated the human brains’ limitations in recall. As one attempts to remember more than six to seven tasks, there are diminishing returns in efficiency. In addition, persistent exposure to stressful stimuli (as is very common in

In 2012 the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, had an article titled: Lifestyle activities and memory: Variety may be the spice of life. The women’s health and aging study II. By: Carlson, Parisi,

“Episodic-like memory” in non-human animals is very similar to episodic memory experienced by humans in that both retrieval methods involve retrieving memory in a short-term and long-term approach. In the two memory cases, human and nonhuman animals, both subjects experienced retention of some kind. Clayton and Dickinson explain that in order to be labeled episodic memory, the retained experience must include information about “who, what, where, and when”. The difference in human episodic memory and nonhuman episodic-like memory lies in the fact that humans can re-experience the events mentally, whereas it cannot be determined if animals are able to re-experience the events. “However, with the King study, the data demonstrates that animals, at least gorillas, are able to remember multiple components in each event. This explains the use of the term “episodic-like” memory and not actual episodic memory”.

Cognitive aging is commonly labeled strictly as memory and only found in “some people”. However, this is not true. The knowledge of cognitive aging has grown immensely, but there is still much to be learned. The surface has only been scratched with many more questions to be answered. Cognitive aging is worthy of study and effects everyone, but there is also much more is still to be learned.

Aging becomes a process for everyone, young and old. As people age over time many factors play into how well each individuals mind will maintain and respond. The ability to be able to store and retrieve memories will vary based on the individual. Forgetting a close friend’s name, details of a favorite movie or TV show may become challenging at times. These moment that surface from time to time in life may be referred to as “senior moments” but in all actuality could be signs of a change in one’s mental state while aging. “But memory is more than brief (short-term) and lasting (long-term) information storage and retrieval. We process bits of data while we keep them in mind—adding a column of figures, thinking of what we’ll say next as we take in the other side of a conversation—with a more fluid faculty called working memory” (Sherman,

On Thursday, March 2nd, 2017 our class had welcomed a guest speaker for our adulthood and aging course. Our guest speaker, Dr. Parks, had spent a considerable amount of time teaching our class about different dimensions and aspects of memory. Although, the class learned a wide array of information; Dr. Parks notable amount of our time presenting information on prospective memory. The term prospective memory can be defined as “memory to perform future actions without specific reminders.” After learning about perspective memory the class had learned additional information about two different types of perspective memory. The first type of perspective memory is event based PM (completed when a cue present); and the other is time based PM (completed at specific time).

As we grow older we are challenged not only by our physical limitations, but also by our cognitive ones. Many older adults are handicapped by mental constraints while the majority are also experiencing a decline in cognitive capacity. It is estimated that 24 million people are suffering from dementia (Ballard et al., 2011). Because this number is so large growing older is often associated with memory loss along with other mental deficits. This is not always the case though and it is not just older adults’ cognitive function declining with age. To help me understand cognitive aging more fully I spoke with Jane, this is a pseudonym.

Episodic memory has been found to be consistently impaired in AD, thus may be a reliable measure to distinguish between dementia and healthy ageing (Salmon & Bondi 2010). The RAVLT requires patients to learn a wordlist which is then recalled immediately, recalled after a delay, and lastly, a recognition test (Estévez-González et al. 2003). Although limited recall is observed in both dementia patients and healthy adults, healthy adults demonstrate significantly improved performance in the recognition test while patients with AD do not (Salmon & Bondi 2010). This can be explained by the failure to encode new information into memory in AD patients (Salmon & Bondi 2010). The RAVLT has been found to be able to distinguish between AD, MCI and

When the recent focus is mainly on studying memory decline that is caused by diseases, memory decline that occurs with normal aging is being disregarded. According to Daselaar and Cabeza, it is important to confine between normal age-related memory decline and the one that is caused by a disease, such as Alzheimer’s, so the person can be provided with the proper treatment at the right time (Daselaar and Cabeza 2008, 577). In my point of view, the main focus of these studies should be on episodic memory, because it is affected the most by aging in comparison to other long-term memory components such as semantic and implicit memory. Denice C. Park and her coworkers have shown in their research (2002) that as verbal knowledge increases across the life span, processing-intensive tasks start to decline since we are on our 20’s. These include for example long term memory, speed of processing, and short term memory; with long-term memory being significantly the most responsive to decline. Since long-term memory has been found to be the most sensitive to age-related cognitive changes, the onset time of this decline has been studied

The author of this article hypothesized that, as individuals grow older memory retention declines, however, not all characteristics of memory are weakened. This article is made up of three sections; Review of Empirical Findings, Aging and Memory: Theoretical Perspectives, and Aging and Memory: Neuropsychological Underpinnings. The first section will inform the reader by using examples that were used to study different parts of memory and conclusions that the researchers have agreed

There is a need for future research that focuses on effective PM strategies that are applicable in everyday living for older adults. Formation of more strategies that combine efforts to improve memory at both encoding and retrieval, and tap into the benefits available

In one study, Smith, Nielson, Woodard, Seidenberg, and Verber (2011) found significant evidence that physical activity improved semantic memory in participants with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). Another study of interest found that, while aging had a negative effect on autobiographical and episodic memory, it did not affect semantic memory (St-Laurent, Abdi, Burianová, & Grady, 2011). The most notable study, which researched the link between semantic memory and sensory modalities, found evidence supporting that the organization of semantic memory corresponds to types of information associated with sensory modalities (Marques, 2006). However, this study only focused on this association in the conceptual sense, not the actual sensory input; for instance, one question, structured like the others, asked if a dog can bark, “bark” being the sensory modality (Marques,

According to the study, episodic memory, which represents our personal memories of past experiences, “allows individuals to project themselves both backward and forward in subjective time.”

Older adults place a high level of importance on detecting memory changes, and knowing whether those changes are normal or pathological in nature (Grober et al., 2008; Grober, Sanders, Hall & Lipton, 2010). PM is one area of memory research where there is a marked difference in performance levels between healthy older adults and those with dementia (Cockburn, 1996; Huppert & Beardsall, 1993), meaning it could be useful diagnostically. Depending on the specific PM task, successful completion may be hugely important (e.g. replacing batteries in a carbon monoxide detector, picking up a grandchild from school), and possibly even a matter of life or death (e.g. take a medication correctly, get brakes in car repaired; Einstein, McDaniel, & Scullin, 2012). PM research helps to clarify differences between pathological and normal memory age-related changes, and also helps to pinpoint where difficulties arise in PM and looks for solutions to overcoming those