TITLE:
Age-Dependent ERP Correlates of Emotional Episodic Memory
AUTHORS:
Brigitta Tóth, Roland Boha, Zsófia Kardos, Bálint File, Márk Molnár
KEYWORDS:
Age-Related Episodic Memory, ERPs, Late Positive Complex, N400, Emotions
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.7 No.6,
June
7,
2016
ABSTRACT: The effect of aging was studied on
emotional word recognition processes. In an episodic memory task young (18 - 26
years, N = 44) and elderly (60 - 71 years N = 47) adults were instructed to
memorize a set of emotional words while EEG recording was performed. Memory
performance was measured by a recognition test. The N400 and late positive
complex (LPC) event-related potential components elicited by new and old words
were analyzed. Decreased recognition accuracy and slower reaction time were
found in the elderly irrespective of stimulus valence, except for correct
rejection of neutral words, where the difference between age groups was not
significant. The old/ new effect on the N400 was more robust in the young but
for the LPC was more conspicuous in the elderly. The effect of valence observed
for negative words was more pronounced in the young both in the earlier (N400)
and later (LPC) latency ranges. The findings with respect to the old/new effect
indicate prioritized processing of aversive stimuli in the young and may
correspond to diminished capacity of adaptive behavior in the elderly.