We propose a carefully integrated and theoretically-motivated set of behavioral and neuroimaging studies designed both to broaden and deepen current understanding of age-related changes in implicit memory. Most studies report that implicit memory is preserved over chronological age as well as across time within an age group, whereas explicit memory declines in elderly subjects. However, some provocative findings have been reported, showing implicit memory loss with certain types of stimuli, and over temporal delays. Using a possible/impossible object decision priming task, we found that decision accuracy was significantly facilitated or primed for studied, but not for non-studied possible objects in both young and elderly subjects. However, young subjects continued to show priming up to 1 week after study, whereas priming virtually disappeared for the elders after 20 minutes. This suggestion of a deteriorating perceptual memory system in the elderly constitutes a central theme in our proposed work. In particular, the hypothesis to be addressed is that familiar or pre-existing representations can be remembered implicitly by older individuals; whereas implicit memory for novel representations may deteriorate over time. Our strategy will be to establish behavioral methodology and findings with behavioral studies, and then to attempt to explore the neural substrates that support these tasks with followup H215O PET studies. Thus, beginning in year 1, we will conduct a series of 6 behavioral experiments designed to test our hypotheses, culminating in a study where we will use a training procedure to try to induce familiarity in our novel stimuli in order to directly improve delayed implicit memory performance in elders. Beginning in year 2, we will conduct a series of PET studies to follow up on the behavioral studies and assess the neural substrates supporting encoding and retrieval of implicit memory both immediately and at delays in young and older individuals. This proposal represents a unique combination of expertise across collaborators and will make a major contribution to our understanding of age-related changes in memory.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AG016714-04
Application #
6509643
Study Section
Human Development and Aging Subcommittee 3 (HUD)
Program Officer
Wagster, Molly V
Project Start
1999-05-01
Project End
2004-04-30
Budget Start
2002-05-01
Budget End
2003-04-30
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2002
Total Cost
$688,731
Indirect Cost
Name
Columbia University (N.Y.)
Department
Neurology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
167204994
City
New York
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
10032
Stern, Yaakov; Arenaza-Urquijo, Eider M; Bartrés-Faz, David et al. (2018) Whitepaper: Defining and investigating cognitive reserve, brain reserve, and brain maintenance. Alzheimers Dement :
Gordon, Leamarie T; Soldan, Anja; Thomas, Ayanna K et al. (2013) Effect of repetition lag on priming of unfamiliar visual objects in young and older adults. Psychol Aging 28:219-31
Soldan, Anja; Habeck, Christian; Gazes, Yunglin et al. (2010) Neural mechanisms of repetition priming of familiar and globally unfamiliar visual objects. Brain Res 1343:122-34
Soldan, Anja; Hilton, H John; Stern, Yaakov (2009) Bias effects in the possible/impossible object decision test with matching objects. Mem Cognit 37:235-47
Soldan, Anja; Hilton, H John; Cooper, Lynn A et al. (2009) Priming of familiar and unfamiliar visual objects over delays in young and older adults. Psychol Aging 24:93-104
Soldan, Anja; Mangels, Jennifer A; Cooper, Lynn A (2008) Effects of dividing attention during encoding on perceptual priming of unfamiliar visual objects. Memory 16:873-95
Soldan, Anja; Gazes, Yunglin; Hilton, H John et al. (2008) Aging does not affect brain patterns of repetition effects associated with perceptual priming of novel objects. J Cogn Neurosci 20:1762-76
Soldan, Anja; Zarahn, Eric; Hilton, H John et al. (2008) Global familiarity of visual stimuli affects repetition-related neural plasticity but not repetition priming. Neuroimage 39:515-26
Habeck, Christian; Hilton, H John; Zarahn, Eric et al. (2006) An event-related fMRI study of the neural networks underlying repetition suppression and reaction time priming in implicit visual memory. Brain Res 1075:133-41
Soldan, Anja; Mangels, Jennifer A; Cooper, Lynn A (2006) Evaluating models of object-decision priming: evidence from event-related potential repetition effects. J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn 32:230-48

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