Verbal discrimination learning as a function of brain damage, aging, and institutionalization

The relationship between young non-brain-damaged nonpatients, elderly non-brain-damaged patients and elderly brain-damaged patients and the acquisition and extinction of verbal discrimination conditioned responses were investigated in this study. Four groups of 10 Ss each were used: one group of elderly brain-damaged patients with no speech impairment; one group of elderly non-brain-damaged patients; and one group of young nonpatient Ss used as a comparison group. The three elderly, brain-damaged and non-brain-damaged groups were unable to make a simple verbal discrimination, while the younger nonpatient group had a nearly perfect record of discrimination responses. No significant differences were obtained between the three elderly patient groups.