Though dementia risk rises as we age, memory changes can be a part of healthy ageing.<\/p>\n
Some people might occasionally miss a bill, find it harder to take in new information, or lose things without having anything to worry about (we\u2019ve written before about the differences between normal age-related memory loss and differences you should speak to a GP about).<\/p>\n
But some researchers think standard memory \u201closs\u201d isn\u2019t as straightforward as it sounds.<\/p>\n
Professor Louis Renoult, the lead researcher in a paper published in Psychology and Ageing, said: \u201cWe wanted to better understand how young and older adults retrieve autobiographical memories \u2013 the personal experiences that form the story of our lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese sorts of memories can range from… one-time events, such as a birthday party [specific memories], to more general or repeated experiences like commuting to work [episodic memories].<\/p>\n
\u201cWe focused on how flexible people are when asked to shift between these types of memories, and what happens when that flexibility is put under pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n
In this study, researchers spoke to 74 participants \u2013 37 students and 37 older adults. They were asked to recall both specific (general) and episodic (repeated) memories related to words, like \u201cmarket\u201d.<\/p>\n
In the beginning, they stuck to one form of recollection (either episodic or specific). But later, they were asked to shift between memory types.<\/p>\n
Then, the researchers measured how well different participants\u2019 memories did by age.<\/p>\n
Prof Renoult, part of the University of East Anglia\u2019s School of Psychology, said: \u201cWe found that across all age groups, memory performance declined when participants had to switch between memory types.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, older adults were particularly affected in one area \u2013 they were less accurate at recalling more mundane repetitive memories, like commuting to work under switching conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, their ability to recall more specific memories, like a party, suffered far less.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis suggests that certain types of memory retrieval may be more vulnerable to the effects of ageing when multitasking or adapting to changing demands,\u201d added the professor.<\/p>\n
Then, there was the nature of the memories to consider. When remembering specific events, older adults\u2019 answers had fewer details about things like sights, sounds, and emotions.<\/p>\n
Instead, they remembered more semantic details, including general knowledge; the same was true for episodic memories.<\/p>\n