Year: 2016
Type: dissertation
Abstract: This study investigated the electrophysiological correlates of time-based prospective memory (PM) in individuals in two different age groups using a clinical measure of time-based PM and a computerized paradigm (Cona et al., 2012).PM involves the ability to form and realize intentions after a time delay (Einstein & McDaniel, 1990).The clinical measure of PM used was the Memory for Intentions Screening Test (MIST), which assessed both time-and event-related PM.These results were compared with average amplitude of the event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to 2-and 5-minute PM tasks at four different post-stimulus time intervals and behavioral data collected while participants completed a computer-based PM task that assessed time-based PM.Older adults performed significantly worse on MIST tasks with a 15-minute time delay, event-based cues, and action-based responses.Their total MIST scores were also significantly lower than younger adults.They also made more PM errors and total errors and scored lower on retrospective recognition.On the computerized-PM tasks, older adults performed significantly worse on PM tasks with a 5-minute time delay.ERP data was significantly different between groups only on 5-minute delay PM trials in which the PM task was successfully completed.In the 275-325 milliseconds (ms) post-stimulus time window, older adults had significantly higher amplitudes in left frontal electrodes and significantly reduced amplitudes in right parietal and occipital electrodes suggesting their frontal lobes work harder in maintaining the intention.The reduction in the occipital electrode was the only ERP difference that extended into the 550-600 ms post-stimulus time window, a period critical for cue detection.Previously Cona et al. (2012) found a similar pattern in event-based PM (rather than time-based), possibly indicating that the presence of a separate clock altered the nature of the time-based cue into more of an event-based cue.Overall, this study found older adults to have significantly worse PM performance, particularly on tasks where the time-delay was greater than two minutes and that their ERP differences on correctly realized 5-minute PM tasks were significantly different from younger adults on frontal and parietal electrodes in the time period critical for strategic monitoring.
Author: Erin E Aisenberg
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2396633736