TY - JOUR
T1 - The differential effect of normal and pathological aging on egocentric and allocentric spatial memory in navigational and reaching space
AU - Caffò, Alessandro O.
AU - Lopez, Antonella
AU - Spano, Giuseppina
AU - Stasolla, Fabrizio
AU - Serino, Silvia
AU - Cipresso, Pietro
AU - Riva, Giuseppe
AU - Bosco, Andrea
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - BACKGROUND:
Topographical disorientation (TD) refers to a particular condition which determines the loss of spatial orientation, both in new and familiar environments. TD and spatial memory impairments occur relatively early as effect of cognitive decline in aging, even in prodromal stages of dementia, namely mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
AIMS:
(a) To show that components linked to the recall of familiar spatial knowledge are relatively spared with respect to the learning of unfamiliar ones in normal aging, while they are not in MCI, and (b) to investigate gender differences for their impact on egocentric and allocentric frames of reference.
METHOD:
Forty young participants (YC), 40 healthy elderly participants (HE), 40 elderly participants with subjective memory complaints (SMC), and 40 elderly with probable MCI were administered with egocentric and allocentric familiar tasks, based on the map of their hometown, and with egocentric and allocentric unfamiliar tasks, based on new material to be learned. A series of general linear models were used to analyze data.
RESULTS:
No group differences were found on egocentric task based on familiar information. MCI performed worse than the other groups on allocentric tasks based on familiar information (YC = HE = SMC > MCI). Significant differences emerged between groups on egocentric and allocentric tasks based on unfamiliar spatial information (YC > HE = SMC > MCI). A gender difference was found, favoring men on allocentric unfamiliar task.
CONCLUSION:
Familiarity of spatial memory traces can represent a protective factor for retrospective components of TD in normal aging. Conversely, using newly learned information for assessment may lead to overestimating TD severity.
AB - BACKGROUND:
Topographical disorientation (TD) refers to a particular condition which determines the loss of spatial orientation, both in new and familiar environments. TD and spatial memory impairments occur relatively early as effect of cognitive decline in aging, even in prodromal stages of dementia, namely mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
AIMS:
(a) To show that components linked to the recall of familiar spatial knowledge are relatively spared with respect to the learning of unfamiliar ones in normal aging, while they are not in MCI, and (b) to investigate gender differences for their impact on egocentric and allocentric frames of reference.
METHOD:
Forty young participants (YC), 40 healthy elderly participants (HE), 40 elderly participants with subjective memory complaints (SMC), and 40 elderly with probable MCI were administered with egocentric and allocentric familiar tasks, based on the map of their hometown, and with egocentric and allocentric unfamiliar tasks, based on new material to be learned. A series of general linear models were used to analyze data.
RESULTS:
No group differences were found on egocentric task based on familiar information. MCI performed worse than the other groups on allocentric tasks based on familiar information (YC = HE = SMC > MCI). Significant differences emerged between groups on egocentric and allocentric tasks based on unfamiliar spatial information (YC > HE = SMC > MCI). A gender difference was found, favoring men on allocentric unfamiliar task.
CONCLUSION:
Familiarity of spatial memory traces can represent a protective factor for retrospective components of TD in normal aging. Conversely, using newly learned information for assessment may lead to overestimating TD severity.
KW - Aging
KW - Allocentric spatial frame of reference
KW - Egocentric spatial frame of reference
KW - Familiarity
KW - Mild cognitive impairment
KW - Topographical disorientation
KW - Aging
KW - Allocentric spatial frame of reference
KW - Egocentric spatial frame of reference
KW - Familiarity
KW - Mild cognitive impairment
KW - Topographical disorientation
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10807/147908
U2 - 10.1007/s10072-020-04261-4
DO - 10.1007/s10072-020-04261-4
M3 - Article
SN - 1590-3478
SP - N/A-N/A
JO - Neurological Sciences
JF - Neurological Sciences
ER -