DECLARATIVE MEMORY ENHANCEMENT IN OLDER AND YOUNG ADULTS

ROCHON DELFINA; MEDEL NANCY; FORCATO CECILIA; URRETA FACUNDO; MOYANO MALEN D; KOCHEN SILVIA; TASSONE LEONELA; SOLIS PATRICIA; BRUSCO IGNACIO

Congreso; XXXIV Reunión Anual SAN 2019; 2019

The stored information can re-enter a labile state after the presentation of a memory cue (reminder) followed by a period of re-stabilization known as reconsolidation. During this process the memory trace can be modify, impaired, strengthened or changed in content. Whether the process of reconsolidation is conserved in elderly is still under debate. Normal aging is associated with deficits in memory processes and it has been suggested that reconsolidation is also affected by aging. Here, we studied whether a declarative memory could be strengthened in older adults through the reconsolidation process. We performed a three day experiment with six groups (in young and older adults). On day 1, participants learned sound-word associations, on day 2 they received no reminder (NR group), one (R group) or two rounds of reminder presentation (Rx2 group). They were tested on day 9. The main results showed that unlike young adults, the R group did not increase memory persistence in older adults; on the contrary it had the same performance as the NR group. However, the Rx2 group recalled better the learned associations than the other two groups on day 9, suggesting that repetitive reactivations trigger memory strengthening in older adults. Thus reconsolidation could be used as a tool to improve episodic memories that are critically impaired in elderly.