Autobiographical memory for the differential diagnosis of cognitive pathology in aging

作者：Melendez Juan C^*; Redondo Rita; Torres Marta; Mayordomo Teresa; Sales Alicia

来源：Geriatrics and Gerontology International, 2016, 16(11): 1220-1225.

DOI：10.1111/ggi.12611

• Alzheimer's disease
• amnesic mild cognitive impairment
• autobiographical memory
• episodic and semantic memory
• healthy elderly

AimThe 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 Alzheimer's disease. This information can offer evidence about the way semantic and episodic autobiographical memory work, and how the disease affects them.
MethodsThe sample was composed of 56 people, all aged over 60 years; 15 with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, 12 with Alzheimer's disease and 29 healthy older people. Participants were evaluated with the Autobiographical Memory Interview.
ResultsA mixed anova showed significant main effects of memory and time-period, and significant interactions of memoryxgroup, time-periodxgroup and memoryxtimexgroup.
DiscussionAssessment of autobiographical memory provides information to differentiate amnestic mild cognitive impairment patients from Alzheimer'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.

• 出版日期2016-11