Although advancing age affects the ability to encode information effectively, older adults remain able to remember emotionally arousing information and self-referential information better than other types of information. To date, the literatures on emotional memory and self-referential memory have proceeded independently, with little discussion of whether there are overlapping mechanisms that support the relatively preserved memory enhancements associated with these two domains in aging. The proposed research brings together two cognitive aging researchers with expertise in self- referential processing (Angela Gutchess) and emotional processing (Elizabeth Kensinger) and a quantitative psychologist with expertise in structural equation modeling and multi-level modeling (Ehri Ryu). The proposed research uses behavioral, event- related potential, and functional magnetic resonance imaging methods to test two main hypotheses. First, that there is a shared set of cognitive and neural mechanisms engaged for the encoding of self-referential information and emotional information, and that this set of shared processes is relatively preserved with aging (Aim 1). Second, that individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) continue to show memory benefits from emotional and self-referential material, and that these benefits are correlated (Aim 2). Research for this aim will be conducted in collaboration with Andrew Budson, an expert in aMCI and Alzheimer's disease. By bringing together two domains of cognitive aging research that have traditionally proceeded independently, the proposed research is likely to shed new light on socioemotional processing and memory systems across the adult lifespan. Moreover, by focusing on areas of relatively preserved memory function among older adults, the proposed research has the potential to elucidate the types of mechanisms that can be harnessed to maximally improve memory performance across the adult lifespan, including among those with aMCI.
Extensive research has focused on age-related declines in memory, yet less is known about why older adults perform well within some memory domains. The present research will examine the processes that enable older adults to remember emotional and self-referential information better than other types of information, and will examine whether these benefits persist in those with amnestic mild cognitive impairment. The proposed research will provide insight into the mechanisms that may be harnessed to support maximal learning across the adult lifespan, including in those older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment.
