Working memory: Differences between young adults and the aged in listening tasks.

Autor:	Freitas MID; Master in Speech Pathology. Specialist in Speech Therapy - Department of Physioterapy, Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy. Faculty of Medical Sciences of University of São Paulo., Ribeiro AF; Specialist in Speech Therapy - Department of Physiotherapy, Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy. Faculty of Medical Sciences of University of São Paulo., Radanovic M; Researcher of Group of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology. Division of Neurology. Hospital of Clinics - Faculty of Medical Sciences of University of São Paulo., Mansur LL; Lecturer of Speech Therapy Course. Department of Physiotherapy, Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy. Faculty of Medical Sciences of University of São Paulo. Researcher of Group of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology. Division of Neurology. Hospital of Clinics - Faculty of Medical Sciences of University of São Paulo.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Dementia & neuropsychologia [Dement Neuropsychol] 2007 Apr-Jun; Vol. 1 (2), pp. 147-153.
DOI:	10.1590/s1980-57642008dn10200006
Abstrakt:	Working memory is a system with a limited capacity which enables the temporary storage and manipulation of the information necessary for complex cognitive tasks. Numerous studies have suggested that performance in these tasks is related to age where older adults have a lesser performance than the young. Objective: To analyze the processing functions of working memory in a listening task. Method: 59 educated participants aged between 19 and 76 years having no memory complaints were divided into two groups (young and aged adults). The test administered was the adapted Listening Span, in which the subject listens to a sentence, judging whether it is true or false and, concomitantly, stores the last word of each sentence for later evocation. Results: In the judgment task, performance of both groups approached to a similar average. Results of sentence recall demonstrated that with the increase in number of sentences at each level, performance of both groups declined. In the blocks of sentences 1 and 2 at level 1, all participants performed similarly. In the block of sentences 3, at level 1, there was a difference between the young and the aged. From this level onward (retention of 3 to 5 items), the aged and the young differed significantly. Conclusions: An increase in the number of sentences diminished participants' performance of temporary storage in the recall tasks, while not interfering in the processing of sentences during judgment. The difference between the young and the aged became more accentuated as item retention demands increased.
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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