MEMORIA COTIDIANA EN POBLACIÓN DE ADULTOS MAYORES: UN ESTUDIO LONGITUDINAL DE 10 AÑOS

• Main Author: Serrani, Daniel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidad Católica de Colombia 2010-12-01
• Series: Acta Colombiana de Psicología
• Subjects: elderly adult; daily memory; longitudinal evolution
• Online Access: http://portalweb.ucatolica.edu.co/easyWeb2/files/23_4913_v13n2-art8.pdf

The main objective of this study was to examine daily or prospective memory in a sample of elderly healthy adults, since few studies have been carried out up to date about changes that take place on this population’s daily memory with the passage of time. Changes on this type of memory based on events and time were compared with retrospective work memory and executive functions at the beginning and after a follow-up period of ten years in 50 elderly adults. Methods and instruments: Digits and words span; logic memory; work memory formed with sentence and word width and addition and digit width; identification of temporary clues and events in prospective memory and trial making test. Data were treated with regression analysis and showed a decrease in work and prospective memory based on events but not on time. Logic and digit span memory did not show significant changes. Prospective or daily memory that requires the use of executive functions can show a decline as part of the aging process, preserving remote memory. The study concludes that routine research on daily memory in elderly adults should be conducted in order to detect early alterations on the latter. The incidence of this decrease in the autonomy of the elderly adult still remains to be investigated