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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2018; 76(02): 89-92
DOI: 10.1590/0004-282X20170186
Article

Relationship between visuospatial episodic memory, processing speed and executive function: are they stable over a lifespan?

As relações entre memória episódica visual-espacial, velocidade de processamento e funções executivas são estáveis ao longo do ciclo vital?

Authors

  • Bruna Fulgêncio Dias

    1   Faculdade de Ciências Médicas de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte MG, Brasil

  • Letícia Oliveira Rezende

    1   Faculdade de Ciências Médicas de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte MG, Brasil

  • Leandro Fernandes Malloy-Diniz

    2   Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte MG, Brasil

  • Jonas Jardim de Paula

    1   Faculdade de Ciências Médicas de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte MG, Brasil
    2   Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte MG, Brasil
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ABSTRACT

The present study evaluated the association between episodic memory, executive function and processing speed in a sample with different age ranges. We tested the hypothesis that processing speed, executive function and memory are more strongly associated during childhood and old age. We evaluated 571 participants, aged six to 92 years, divided into four age groups: children/adolescents, young adults, middle-aged adults and older adults. Correlation analyses suggested that the shared variance between the processing speed and memory is strong in childhood but weak across other age ranges. Executive function, however, had a stronger association both in childhood and in old age, when compared with the intermediate stages. We conclude that the effects of processing speed and executive function on memory are not stable across human development. These functions may be compensatory mechanisms for memory functioning in childhood and old age.

RESUMO

O presente estudo avalia a associação entre velocidade de processamento, funções executivas e memória em uma amostra de diferentes faixas etárias. O estudo testa a hipótese de que a velocidade de processamento, as funções executivas e a memória apresentam associação mais forte na infância e na velhice. Avaliamos 571 participantes, com idade entre seis e 92 anos, divididos em quatro grupos etários: crianças/adolescentes, adultos jovens, adultos de meia-idade e idosos. Análises de correlação sugerem que a variância compartilhada entre velocidade de processamento e memória é forte na infância e fraca nas demais idades. Já as funções executivas apresentaram associação forte com a memória tanto na infância quanto na velhice, quando comparadas aos estágios intermediários. Concluímos que os efeitos da atenção sobre a memória variam em função da idade do participante. Essas funções podem ser mecanismos compensatórios para a memória ao longo do desenvolvimento.

Keywords:

executive function - memory - aging

Palavras-chave:

função executiva - memória - envelhecimento

This research was conducted in the Faculdade de Ciências Médicas de Minas Gerais and at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais.




Publication History

Received: 24 July 2017

Accepted: 06 November 2017

Article published online:
28 August 2023

© 2023. Academia Brasileira de Neurologia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commecial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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