老年人前瞻性记忆损害的研究

Age-related impairment of the prospective memory

目的了解健康老年人前瞻性记忆改变的情况,初步探讨老年人基于事件的前瞻性记忆(EBPM)和基于时间的前瞻性记忆(TBPM)损害程度的区别。方法建立前瞻性记忆的神经心理学测验方法,测试教育程度相匹配的40名健康老年人和40名健康成年人的 EBPM 和 TBPM。结果与成年组[EBPM(6.25±1.60)分;TBPM(5.38±0.87)分]相比,老年组的 EBPM[(2.50±0.85)分和TBPM(4.93±1.07)分]均较成年组差(P<0.01,P<0.05),而 EBPM 损伤指数的差异亦有统计学意义(P<0.01)。老年组前瞻性记忆的 EBPM 和 TBPM 存在双分离。结论老年人存在前瞻性记忆的损害,EBPM 损害较 TBPM 损害更为显著。EBPM 和 TBPM 的双分离表明其可能有不同的神经机制,推测额叶可能特异性地参与了 EBPM。

Objective To study the prospective memory and the severity of the impairment of eventbased prospective memory （EBPM） and time-based prospective memory （TBPM） in normally aging adults. Methods We set a neuropsychological battery to measure the education-matched 40 adults and 40 normally aging adults who were given EBPM and TBPM tasks. Results Compared with the young controls （ EBPM, 6. 25±1.60;TBPM,5. 38±0. 87）, both EBPM（2. 50±0. 85） and TBPM（4. 93±1.07） in the elderly had been impaired, especially EBPM （ t = 13.117, P 〈 0.01 ）. Double dissociation between the performance of EBPM and TBPM was found after the aging group had been divided into two subgroups. Conclusion These results suggest that prospective memory is impaired in the healthy elderly people, presumably relating to frontal lobe dysfunction. The evidence of double dissociation between EBPM and TBPM indicates that they may have different neuromechanisms. It is hypothesized that frontal lobe is selectively involved in EBPM.