Aashat S, D'Angelo MC, Rosenbaum RS, Ryan JD. Effects of extended practice and unitization on relational memory in older adults and neuropsychological lesion cases.
NEUROPSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENT, AND COGNITION. SECTION B, AGING, NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2024:1-36. [PMID:
38415694 DOI:
10.1080/13825585.2024.2319892]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Unitization - the fusion of objects into a single unit through an action/consequence sequence - can mitigate relational memory impairments, but the circumstances under which unitization is effective are unclear. Using transverse patterning (TP), we compared unitization (and its component processes of fusion, motion, and action/consequence) with extended practice on relational learning and transfer in older adults and neuropsychological cases with lesions (to varying extents) in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) or hippocampus/medial temporal lobe (HC/MTL). The latter included a person with bilateral HC lesions primarily within the dentate gyrus. For older adults, TP accuracy increased, and transfer benefits were observed, with extended practice and unitization. Broadly, the lesion cases did not benefit from either extended practice or unitization, suggesting the mPFC and dentate gyrus play important roles in relational memory and in unitization. The results suggest that personalized strategy interventions must align with the cognitive and neural profiles of the user.
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