Comparison of Adult Age Differences in Verbal and Visuo-Spatial Memory: The Importance of ‘Pure’, Parallel and Validated Measures

The study compared age-related decrements in verbal and visuo-spatial memory across a broad elderly adult age range. Twenty-four young (18–25 years), 24 young-old (65–74 years), 24 middle-old (75–84 years) and 24 old-old (85–93 years) adults completed parallel recall and recognition measures of verbal and visuo-spatial memory from the Doors and People Test (Baddeley, Emslie & Nimmo-Smith, 1994). These constituted ‘pure’ and validated indices of either verbal or visuo-spatial memory. Verbal and visuo-spatial memory declined similarly with age, with a steeper decline in recall than recognition. Unlike recognition memory, recall performance also showed a heightened decline after the age of 85. Age-associated memory loss in both modalities was largely due to working memory and executive function. Processing speed and sensory functioning (vision, hearing) made minor contributions to memory performance and age differences in it. Together, these findings demonstrate common, rather than differential, age-related effects on verbal and visuo-spatial memory. They also emphasize the importance of using ‘pure’, parallel and validated measures of verbal and visuo-spatial memory in memory ageing research.

This research was supported by a grant from the Australian Association of Gerontology RM Gibson Scientific Research Fund to Eva Kemps. We are grateful to Nathan Weber for developing the software for the computerized administration of the Corsi Blocks Backward Task, and to Judith Slater for assistance with data collection.

Notes

This research was supported by a grant from the Australian Association of Gerontology RM Gibson Scientific Research Fund to Eva Kemps. We are grateful to Nathan Weber for developing the software for the computerized administration of the Corsi Blocks Backward Task, and to Judith Slater for assistance with data collection.

¹Scores on the TMT and sensory measures were reverse coded.

Australian Bureau of Statistics Catalogue Publication: Population Projections, Australia, 1999 to 2101 (ABS Cat. No. 3222.0)