Comparison of verbal and nonverbal memory in elderly normal subjects and dementia patients

A multimodal memory test was devised to investigate the differences between verbal and nonverbal memory in demented and normal older people (65 to 98 years of age). Recognition memory for faces, geometric designs, tactual fabrics, words, and sentences significantly differentiated between the two groups. Verbal memory was better than nonverbal memory in both groups. No differences in subtest profiles were found between groups. Findings suggest that the verbal-nonverbal dimension is of importance to rehabilitation programs. The relatively slow deterioration of verbal memory with age leads to the suggestion that verbal memory might be capitalized on for the creation of compensatory mechanisms. The similarity in subtest profiles is in agreement with the accelerated aging hypothesis of dementia.