Visual object pattern separation varies in older adults
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Updated: May 10, 2026

Stimulus-specific Cortical Visual Evoked Potential Morphological Patterns
Published on: May 12, 2019
Heather M Holden1, Chelsea Toner, Eva Pirogovsky
1San Diego State University-University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, California 92120, USA.
Abstract:
Young and nondemented older adults completed a visual object continuous recognition memory task in which some stimuli (lures) were similar but not identical to previously presented objects. The lures were hypothesized to result in increased interference and increased pattern separation demand. To examine variability in object pattern separation deficits, older adults were divided into impaired and unimpaired groups based on performance on a standardized serial list-learning task. Impaired older adults showed intact recognition memory, but were impaired relative to young and unimpaired older adults when identifying similar lure stimuli, demonstrating that object pattern separation varies in older adults.
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