The Role of Semantic Knowledge and Reading Experience in Age-Related Changes in Associative Memory
Keywords
Loading...
Authors
Issue Date
2024
Language
en
Document type
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Title
ISSN
Volume
Issue
Startpage
Endpage
DOI
Abstract
The study explores the effects of semantic relatedness and reading experience throughout the adult lifespan on the Verbal Paired Associates (VPA) task, investigating both behavioral outcomes and integrity of white matter tracts associated with semantic control. Cognitive aging involves complex changes in various domains, including memory, where associative memory tends to decline while semantic memory strengthens with age. Studies suggest that age-related declines in associative memory are mitigated by semantic knowledge, but it is unclear how individuals’ language experience influences this relationship. The study leverages a large sample size (n = 186) across multiple age groups (18 to 80 years) and comprehensive measures by quantifying semantic relatedness between the words in the VPA, individual language experience (measured through reading years), and estimating FA values for the white matter integrity in inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF) and inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF). Influence of Semantic Relatedness and Reading experience was analyzed using linear mixed-effects model; differences in white matter and their contribution to the performance on the task were assessed via mediation models and linear models
Description
Citation
Supervisor
Faculty
Faculteit der Letteren