Dionysia Kontaxopoulou1, Ion N Beratis1, Stella Fragkiadaki1, Dimosthenis Pavlou2, George Yannis2, Alexandra Economou3, Andrew C Papanicolaou4, Sokratis G Papageorgiou1. 1. Cognitive Disorders/Dementia Unit, 2nd Department of Neurology, University of Athens, "Attikon" University Hospital, 12462 Athens, Greece. 2. National Technical University of Athens, School of Civil Engineering, Department of Transportation Planning and Engineering, 15780 Zografou, Athens, Greece. 3. Department of Psychology, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, 15784 Ilissia, Athens, Greece. 4. The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 777 Washington Avenue, Memphis, TN, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the current study was to investigate the impact of gender and age on incidental and intentional memory in healthy participants and to explore the strength of the association of incidental and intentional memory with attentional and executive functioning. METHOD: A total number of 47 participants underwent a driving simulation experiment and went through detailed neuropsychological testing. Incidental memory was assessed with a questionnaire that evaluated the memorization of information related to the driving simulator task while intentional memory was assessed using the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised and the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised. RESULTS: The analysis revealed a greater impact of age on incidental as compared to intentional memory. Gender did not appear to have such an effect on either incidental or intentional memory. Finally, attentional and executive functioning were more strongly associated with incidental memory than the intentional memory measures that were utilized in the current study. CONCLUSIONS: Ageing appears to affect incidental rather than intentional memory to a greater extent. In addition, attentional and executive functioning seem to play a more important role in incidental than intentional encoding and consolidation processes.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the current study was to investigate the impact of gender and age on incidental and intentional memory in healthy participants and to explore the strength of the association of incidental and intentional memory with attentional and executive functioning. METHOD: A total number of 47 participants underwent a driving simulation experiment and went through detailed neuropsychological testing. Incidental memory was assessed with a questionnaire that evaluated the memorization of information related to the driving simulator task while intentional memory was assessed using the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised and the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised. RESULTS: The analysis revealed a greater impact of age on incidental as compared to intentional memory. Gender did not appear to have such an effect on either incidental or intentional memory. Finally, attentional and executive functioning were more strongly associated with incidental memory than the intentional memory measures that were utilized in the current study. CONCLUSIONS: Ageing appears to affect incidental rather than intentional memory to a greater extent. In addition, attentional and executive functioning seem to play a more important role in incidental than intentional encoding and consolidation processes.