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The Spatial Memory Game: Testing the Relationship Between Spatial Language, Object Knowledge, and Spatial Cognition

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Aging and posture in the memory of manipulable objects.

Léo Dutriaux^1,2, Serge Nicolas^1,3, Valérie Gyselinck⁴

¹LMC2, Université de Paris , Boulogne-Billancourt, France.

Neuropsychology, Development, and Cognition. Section B, Aging, Neuropsychology and Cognition

|December 26, 2019

Summary

Elderly adults showed a postural interference effect, impacting memory for manipulable objects. This challenges the embodied theory linking memory decline in aging to sensorimotor system deterioration.

Keywords:

Action Concept Grounded cognition Long Term Memory

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Neuroscience
Human Aging Research

Background:

The embodied theory suggests memory decline in aging relates to sensorimotor system degradation.
Previous research identified a Postural Interference (PI) effect in young adults impacting memory recall.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the presence and nature of the Postural Interference (PI) effect in healthy elderly individuals.
To examine how physical posture influences memory recall of different object types in older adults.
To test the embodied theory's hypothesis regarding age-related memory decline and sensorimotor function.

Main Methods:

Thirty healthy elderly participants (mean age 77.3) learned object names under two conditions: control posture (hands in front) and interfering posture (hands behind back).
A recall task was used to assess memory performance for both manipulable and nonmanipulable objects.

Main Results:

A significant Postural Interference (PI) effect was observed, where the interfering posture impaired memory recall for manipulable objects.
The PI effect was not significant for nonmanipulable objects.
While present, the PI effect in the elderly group was less pronounced than previously reported in younger adults.

Conclusions:

The findings suggest that the Postural Interference (PI) effect is present in healthy elderly individuals, though potentially diminished compared to younger adults.
The results challenge the embodied theory's direct link between sensorimotor decline and age-related memory deterioration.
Memory in older adults may be influenced by sensorimotor interactions, but not solely explained by a decline in the sensorimotor system.