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Abstract:
Normal aging is associated with declines in numerous
cognitive processes including episodic memory, attention, working
memory and spatial learning, while some processes such as those
involved in verbal skills, priming, implicit learning and semantic
memory seem to be spared. The hippocampus is critical for normal
learning and memory (O'Keefe & Nadel, 1978; Sutherland &
Rudy, 1989) and has been implicated in this pattern of age-related
cognitive decline. The Morris water task (Morris, 1981) is
sensitive to hippocampal damage and has been exstensively employed
to study the relationship between hippocampal functioning, aging
(Barnes et al., 1997) and learning in the rat. In this task animals
are trained to locate a hidden escape platform in a circular pool
of opaq ue water. A computerized version of this task (see Hamilton
& Sutherland, 1999) appears to require and engage human
hippocampal circuitry in a similar manner. We tested participants
(30-80 years of age) in this task to investigate whether place
learning varies as a function of age. Our findings show a
significant age-related decline in place learning. Increasing age
was associated with longer latencies to locate the goal and a
significant decrease in the percentage of time spent searching in
the goal region on a no-platform probe trial.
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