Decline in verbal memory performance with advancing age: the role of frontal lobe functioning

This study investigated the relationship between measures of frontal lobe functioning (FLF) and verbal memory performance among healthy, community-dwelling older adults (60-85 years old). All were administered measures of FLF, attention, verbal memory, and depression. After controlling for the effects of attention and depression, FLF accounted for significant amounts of the variance in verbal memory scores. Age related to the FLF measure according to the level of organization of verbal material to be recalled. Frontal lobe functioning and performance on an attention measure explained the greatest amount of the variance in the recall of unorganized verbal material, whereas age and attention abilities were the best predictors of the recall of organized verbal material. The data indicate a central role of frontal dysfunction in understanding age-related memory loss.