Changes in semantic memory processing in normal and at‐risk aging adults

Abstract

Based on current theories in psycholinguistics and neuropsychology, this article explores changes in episodic‐semantic structure of declarative memory associated with aging and dementia‐related deficits. A qualitative scoring of verbatim responses on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale‐Revised (WAIS‐R) Vocabulary subtest allowed us to investigate relationships of language processing level to age and education in 156 healthy 58‐ to 85‐year‐olds. We also compared response patterns of two groups hypothesized to be at‐risk for dementia to a well group individually matched to the at‐risk groups on age, education, and sex (n = 19 per group). Results revealed that both at‐risk groups differed significantly from the well group on frequency of responses falling into the “semantic field” subcategory, which is also sensitive to general educational level, but not to aging per se. These findings suggest that a decline in frequency of semantic‐field responses may be an early marker of dementia, a critically important hypothesis that will receive follow‐up testing with these participants.