Blurring boundaries between events may contribute to age-related memory deficits

What is it about?

Everyday events, which we experience continuously, are stored in long-term memory as a series of units (e.g., eating breakfast, driving to work). Dividing experiences into distinct events is thought to involve refreshing what we have in mind when the situation changes. In this study, we find that older adults with poor refreshing ability seem to blur events together in long-term memory and this affects their ability to recall what happened.

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Photo by Centre for Ageing Better on Unsplash

Photo by Centre for Ageing Better on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This work helps us better understand the age-related differences, and variability therein, that may contribute to the memory deficits experienced by some older adults. A greater understanding of the mechanisms contributing to these deficits is critical in developing strategies and interventions that may improve older adults' ability to recall and share events from their daily lives.