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Qualitative aspects of memory performance in depressed versus demented elderly

This study investigated quantitative and qualitative aspects of memory in three age-and-education-matched groups (1) 38 normal elderly, (2) 15 patients with dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT), and (3) 26 depressed elderly. Three clusters of dependent variables were used to examine group differences: (1) standard psychometric (Wechsler Memory Scale logical memory and visual reproduction subtests), (2) verbal recall measures (free recall measures of primary memory, secondary memory, prior item intrusions and extra list intrusions), and (3) verbal recognition memory measures (true positive, false positive, true negative, and false negative responses). Analyses of variance, with specified contrasts, found the DAT patients to demonstrate a pervasive memory impairment affecting both the qualitative and quantitative memory indices compared to depressed and normal elderly. The depressed elderly demonstrated impairment, compared to normal elderly, on tasks requiring effortful processing. Findings support pervasive memory loss in DAT patients and do not support clear memory impairment in the present depressed sample.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:arizona.edu/oai:arizona.openrepository.com:10150/276623
Date January 1987
CreatorsNussbaum, Paul David, 1963-
ContributorsKaszniak, Alfred W.
PublisherThe University of Arizona.
Source SetsUniversity of Arizona
Languageen_US
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typetext, Thesis-Reproduction (electronic)
RightsCopyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.

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