The differential pattern of memory deficit in normal aging and dementias of different etiology

Abstract

The study explored encoding, storage, and retrieval components of memory functioning in four groups of subjects: (1) normal elderly; (2) elderly subjects in the early prestages of DAT; (3) elderly subjects with a more advanced DAT; (4) younger subjects in the early prestages of AIDS dementia. Each group consisted of 26 subjects, who were administered the Rey Auditory‐Verbal Learning Test. The results suggest impaired encoding and retrieval in the DAT groups. The AIDS group demonstrated deficient storage and retrieval. Their pattern of memory deficits was similar to that seen in normal aging. The results speak in favor of the hypothesis of subcortical nature of neurological changes in normal aging.

Discrimination of Normal from Demented Elderly on a Spanish Version of the Verbal Selective Reminding Test

“…As pointed out by Delis et al (1991), it is important to provide data for error types. Thus, the higher number of intrusions in recall and false positives on recognition trials made by the group of patients is consistent with previous findings (Cushman et al, 1988;Delis et al, 1991;Fuld, Katzman, Davies, & Terry, 1982;Kramer et al, 1989;Mitrushina et al, 1994;Salmon, Granholm, McCullough, Butters, & Grant, 1989;Stern et al, 1993). The pattern of errors showed by patients on the recognition trials deserves special attention.…”

“…These results, in addition with a flatter learning curve (see Fig. 1), suggest an impaired ability to acquire new learning (see Delis et al, 1991;Masur et al, 1989;Mitrushina et al, 1994;Petersen, Smith, Ivnik, Kokmen, & Tangalos, 1994). The lower score on LTR indicates that DAT patients retrieved fewer words from Long-term memory (Masur et al, 1989;Paulsen et al, 1995).…”

“…In comparison to the normal controls, patients with DAT recalled fewer words on Trial 1, which suggests that immediate recall is impaired (see Delis et al, 1991;Mitrushina et al, 1994). They also recalled fewer overall words (Total Recall) and entered fewer items into Long-term memory (LTS).…”

“…Following the neuropsychological research concerned with the detection of DAT, we have added to the standard procedure several measures that have been shown to differentiate between normal elderly and patients with DAT, and between patients with different types of dementia: specifically, measures of delayed recall (Knopman & Ryberg, 1989;Huff, Protetch, Saxton, & Becker, 1989;Stern, Richards, Sano, & Mayeux, 1993;Welsh et al, 1991), measures of savings (Butters et al, 1988;Moss, Albert, Butters, & Payne, 1986;Tröster et al, 1993), recognition measures (Delis et al, 1991;Kramer, Levin, Brandt, & Delis, 1989;Mitrushina et al, 1994;Pillon, Deweer, Agid, & Dubois, 1993), and the number of intrusion errors (Delis et al, 1991;Kramer et al, 1989;Stern et al, 1993).…”

Neuropsychological assessment in older people: old principles and new directions

“…This is designed to exceed the capacity of memory span and so test for short-term memory function. An alternative, for more able patients, is to use one of the range of individual memory tests developed more generally for adults, an example being the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (Mitrushina et al, 1994), which can be used to help to differentiate between processes concerned with encoding and retrieval.…”