Lower-Resolution Retrieval of Scenes in Older Adults With Subjective Cognitive Decline

Ruiz-Rizzo, Adriana L. ; Pruitt, Patrick J.; Finke, Kathrin ; Müller, Hermann J. and Damoiseaux, Jessica S. (1. March 2022): Lower-Resolution Retrieval of Scenes in Older Adults With Subjective Cognitive Decline. In: Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, Vol. 37, No. 2: pp. 408-422

Abstract

Objective Scenes with more perceptual detail can help detect subtle memory deficits more than scenes with less detail. Here, we investigated whether older adults with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) show less brain activation and more memory deficits to scenes with more (vs. scenes with less) perceptual detail compared to controls (CON).

Method In 37 healthy older adults (SCD: 16), we measured blood oxygenation level-dependent-functional magnetic resonance imaging during encoding and behavioral performance during retrieval.

Results During encoding, higher activation to scenes with more (vs. less) perceptual detail in the parahippocampal place area predicted better memory performance in SCD and CON. During retrieval, superior performance for new scenes with more (vs. less) perceptual detail was significantly more pronounced in CON than in SCD.

Conclusions Together, these results suggest a present, but attenuated benefit from perceptual detail for memory retrieval in SCD. Memory complaints in SCD might, thus, refer to a decreased availability of perceptual detail of previously encoded stimuli.

• Item Type: Journal article
• EU Funded Grant Agreement Number: 754388
• EU Projects: Horizon 2020 > Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions > Marie Skłodowska-Curie: Other programs > 754388: The LMU Research Fellowship Program: Promoting excellent early-stage postdoctoral researchers at LMU Munich
• Form of publication: Publisher's Version
• Keywords: Memory encoding, Memory retrieval, Older adults, Parahippocampal place area, Scene complexity, Subjective cognitive decline
• Faculties: Psychology and Education Science > Department Psychology > General and Experimental Psychology
• Subjects: 100 Philosophy and Psychology > 150 Psychology; 500 Science > 500 Science
• Language: English