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Autobiographical memory for the differential diagnosis of cognitive pathology in aging
Author(s) -
Meléndez Juan C,
Redondo Rita,
Torres Marta,
Mayordomo Teresa,
Sales Alicia
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
geriatrics and gerontology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.823
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1447-0594
pISSN - 1444-1586
DOI - 10.1111/ggi.12611
Subject(s) - autobiographical memory , episodic memory , semantic memory , dementia , cognition , disease , retrospective memory , psychology , cognitive impairment , cognitive aging , memory impairment , medicine , cognitive psychology , audiology , childhood memory , psychiatry , pathology
Aim The present study distinguishes three memory stages across the lifespan, and aims to compare episodic and semantic autobiographical memory in healthy older adults, with amnesic mild cognitive impairment, and with A lzheimer's disease. This information can offer evidence about the way semantic and episodic autobiographical memory work, and how the disease affects them. Methods The sample was composed of 56 people, all aged over 60 years; 15 with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, 12 with A lzheimer's disease and 29 healthy older people. Participants were evaluated with the Autobiographical Memory Interview. Results A mixed anova showed significant main effects of memory and time‐period, and significant interactions of memory × group, time‐period × group and memory × time × group. Discussion Assessment of autobiographical memory provides information to differentiate amnestic mild cognitive impairment patients from A lzheimer's disease patients. Although the decline in episodic memory starts with the onset of the disease, semantic memory is maintained until moderate stages of dementia. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16:1220–1225.