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. 2016 Sep 7:6:32527.
doi: 10.1038/srep32527.

Multiple determinants of lifespan memory differences

Richard N Henson  1   2 , Karen L Campbell  2   3 , Simon W Davis  2   4 , Jason R Taylor  2   5 , Tina Emery  1   2 , Sharon Erzinclioglu  1   2 ; Cam-CAN; Rogier A Kievit  1   2
Collaborators, Affiliations

Multiple determinants of lifespan memory differences

Richard N Henson et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Memory problems are among the most common complaints as people grow older. Using structural equation modeling of commensurate scores of anterograde memory from a large (N = 315), population-derived sample (www.cam-can.org), we provide evidence for three memory factors that are supported by distinct brain regions and show differential sensitivity to age. Associative memory and item memory are dramatically affected by age, even after adjusting for education level and fluid intelligence, whereas visual priming is not. Associative memory and item memory are differentially affected by emotional valence, and the age-related decline in associative memory is faster for negative than for positive or neutral stimuli. Gray-matter volume in the hippocampus, parahippocampus and fusiform cortex, and a white-matter index for the fornix, uncinate fasciculus and inferior longitudinal fasciculus, show differential contributions to the three memory factors. Together, these data demonstrate the extent to which differential ageing of the brain leads to differential patterns of memory loss.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Summary of Study and Test phases.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Main Effects of Age (Panel A) and of Valence (B) on mean accuracy for the three memory measures (Asc = Associative, Itm = Item, Pri = Priming), and their interaction for the measure of Associative Memory (Panel C; Pos = Positive; Neu = Neutral, Neg = Negative). Error bars are 95% confidence intervals.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Structural Equation Models (SEMs) for the main memory theories tested, where observed variables are shown in squares (Asc = Associative, Itm = Item, Pri = Priming; Pos = Positive; Neu = Neutral, Neg = Negative) and latent variables are shown in circles (Mem = (single) Memory factor; Dec = Declarative, Pro = Procedural; Rec = Recollection, Flu = Fluency).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Three-factor model with Age (Panel A) and additionally with Education (Edu) and fluid intelligence (gF) (Panel B). Note that residual variances and covariances, and significant Cattell loadings, are not shown in (B) for sake of clarity. See Fig. 3 legend for more details.
Figure 5
Figure 5. Three-factor model augmented with estimates of gray-matter volume (GMV) from Hippocampus (Hip; green), anterior parahippocampal cortex (Par, cyan) and Fusiform (Fus, blue), and a white-matter index (WMI) from Fornix (Fnx, yellow), Uncinate Fasciculus (Unc, orange) and Inferior Longitudinal Fasciculus (ILF, red), as well as Education (Edu) and Total Intracranial Volume (TIV).
All brain measures are allowed to covary, but only paths from brain measures to memory factors are shown for clarity. See Fig. 3 legend for more details.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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