Age effects on episodic memory: Neuropsychology, electrophysiology, and modeling

描述（由申请人提供）：该项目的总体目标是研究在正常成人衰老过程中，情节记忆如何随着额叶（FL）和中颞叶（MTL）功能而变化。为此，我们将采用三种互补的方法，包括（1）对FL和MTL功能敏感的神经心理学电池，（2）事件相关电位（ERP）测量，（3）认知过程建模，包括a）记忆的分层模型（单过程和双过程帐户作为特例），和B）拉特克利夫的扩散模型（1978）。年轻人和老年人参与者将完成一个神经心理电池和两个识别记忆任务（联想记忆和记忆知道任务）。将使用成套测试来表征年轻和老年受试者的FL和MTL功能（各为高或低），将在两项记忆任务中获得每名受试者的行为测量（准确性、反应时间和置信度），并在记忆已知任务的编码和检索阶段记录ERP。ERP将用于检查不同检索过程（基于熟悉度、基于回忆、整体旧/新判断）的电生理特征以及导致所有参与者组（FL/MTL功能高或低的年轻或老年人）中这些检索差异的编码。分层和扩散模型将拟合的行为数据的特征的影响，年龄和FL/MTL功能的联想和项目识别，以及对回忆和熟悉为基础的判断。本研究的具体目的是：（1）将不同年龄轨迹对情景记忆的影响与高、低FL和MTL功能的年龄无关效应区分开来;（2）考察FL和MTL功能以及年龄对编码和提取过程中新旧记忆效应的ERP指标以及基于回忆和熟悉性的再认判断的影响，（3）在控制记忆强度的同时，检查回忆和熟悉的编码和提取阶段ERP指数，（4）开发和应用分层过程模型来研究年龄和FL/MTL功能在情景记忆中对联想和项目信息以及对基于回忆和熟悉的过程的影响，（5）应用扩散模型来描述年龄和FL/MTL相关的情景记忆损伤的性质，包括联想和项目信息以及回忆和熟悉性。总之，拟议的项目将提供一个丰富的数据集，以测试有关FL/MTL功能和年轻人和老年人的情景记忆之间的关系的假设。它还包含一些涉及多种方法的创新。这些结果将有助于更深入和更全面地了解与年龄相关的变化和情景记忆的个体差异。 公共卫生相关性：记忆缺失是与衰老相关的最普遍和最明显的变化之一。拟议的研究将采用行为，神经心理学，电生理学和正式的计算方法来研究情景记忆如何随着成年人的衰老和额叶和中颞叶功能而变化。通过对这些变化的更深入和更全面的理解，这些结果应该有助于解决认知老化的普遍和衰弱问题。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overarching goal of the proposed project is to study how episodic memory changes with frontal-lobe (FL) and medial-temporal lobe (MTL) functioning during normal adult aging. Towards this end, we will apply three complimentary approaches involving (1) a neuropsychological battery designed to be sensitive to FL and MTL functioning, (2) event-related potential (ERP) measures, and (3) cognitive-process modeling, including a) hierarchical models of memory (with single- and dual-process accounts as special cases), and b) Ratcliff's diffusion model (1978). Young and older adult participants will complete a neuropsychological battery and two recognition memory tasks (an associative memory and a remember-know task). The battery will be used to characterize the FL and MTL functioning (high or low for each) of both young and older adult participants, behavioral measures (accuracy, response time, and confidence ratings) will be obtained for each participant in both memory tasks, and ERPs will be recorded during both the encoding and retrieval phases of the remember-know task. The ERPs will be used to examine the electrophysiological signatures of different retrieval processes (familiarity-based, recollection-based, overall old/new judgment) and the encoding that leads to these retrieval differences in all participant groups (young or older adults with high or low FL/MTL function). The hierarchical and diffusion models will be fit t the behavioral data to characterize the effects of age and FL/MTL function on associative and item recognition, as well as on recollection- and familiarity-based judgments. The specific aims of the proposed research are to (1) disentangle effects of the different aging trajectories on episodic memory from age-independent effects of high vs. low FL and MTL functioning, (2) examine the influence of FL and MTL functioning and age on ERP indices of old-new memory effects, as well as recognition judgments based on recollection and familiarity, during encoding and retrieval, (3) examine encoding and retrieval phase ERP indices of recollection and familiarity while controlling for mnemonic strength, (4) develop and apply hierarchical process models to study effects of age and FL/MTL function in episodic memory for associative and item information and for recollection- and familiarity-based processes, and (5) apply the diffusion model to characterize the nature of age- and FL/MTL-related impairments in episodic memory for associative and item information and for recollection and familiarity. In summary, the proposed project will provide a rich dataset to test hypotheses concerning the relationship between FL/MTL functioning and episodic memory in younger and older adults. It also contains a number of innovations involving multiple methodological approaches. The results will contribute to a deeper and more integrated understanding of age-related changes and individual differences in episodic memory. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Lapses in memory are one of the most prevalent and noticeable changes associated with aging. The proposed research will employ behavioral, neuropsychological, electrophysiological, and formal computational approaches to study how episodic memory changes with adult aging and frontal-lobe and medial-temporal lobe functioning. By contributing towards a deeper and more integrated understanding of these changes, the results should help address a pervasive and debilitating problem of cognitive aging.