N-Back auditory test performance in normal individuals

Gonçalves, Vanessa Tomé; Mansur, Letícia Lessa

doi:10.1590/S1980-57642009DN30200008

Abstract

The working memory construct refers to the capacity to maintain information for a limited time.

Objectives:

To devise stimuli and adapt the 5-back test and to verify the effect of age in normal Brazilian individuals.

Methods:

31 healthy adults (15 young adults and 16 older adults) were evaluated by batteries of auditory stimuli to verify the inter-group differences (age effect) in working memory span, total correct answers and intrusions, and the intra-group effect of type of stimulus.

Results:

There was no intra-group stimulus effect. Individuals from both groups processed di and tri-syllables similarly. No difference between groups (no age effect) was observed for any N-Back parameters: total score, span, number of intrusions, in either di or tri-syllable presentation.

Conclusion:

the processing capacity of 5 elements in phonological working memory was not affected by age.

Key words:
age; working memory; cognition.

Resumo

Memória operacional é um construto que se refere à capacidade de manter a informação acessível para uso por tempo limitado.

Objetivo:

Elaborar estímulos e adaptar o teste N-Back auditivo e verificar o efeito de idade em indivíduos brasileiros normais.

Método:

31 sujeitos adultos (15 adultos jovens e 16 idosos) foram avaliados por baterias de estímulos auditivos para verificar diferenças inter-grupos (efeito de idade) na capacidade da memória operacional, número de respostas corretas e intrusões e também examinar o efeito do tipo de estímulo intra-grupos.

Resultados:

Não houve efeito significante do estímulo intra-grupo. Indivíduos de ambos os grupos processaram de modo similar di e trissílabos. Não houve diferença entre os grupos (efeito de idade) nos parâmetros: escore total, capacidade de memória operacional, número de intrusões tanto na apresentação com dissílabos como trissílabos.

Conclusão:

A capacidade de processar cinco elementos na memória operacional fonológica não foi afetada pela idade.

Palavras-chave:
memória operacional; normalidade; idosos.

Texto completo disponível apenas em PDF.

Full text available only in PDF format.

References

¹
Baddeley A. Introduction and overview. In: Baddeley A (Ed). Working memory, thought, and action. New York: Oxford University Press; 2007:1-13.
²
Kane MJ, Conway AFA, Hambrick DZ, Engle RW. Variation in working memory capacity as variation in executive attention and control. In: Conway AFA, Jarrold C, Kane MJ, Miyake A, Towse JN (Eds). Variation in working memory. New York: Oxford University Press; 2007:21-48.
³
Waters FS, Caplan D. The relationship between age, processing speed, working memory capacity, and language comprehension. Memory 2005;13:403-413.
⁴
Kubat-Silman AK, Dagenbach D, Absher JR. Patterns of impaired verbal, spatial and object working memory after thalamic lesions. Brain Cogn 2002;50:178-193.
⁵
Wright HH, Shisler RJ. Working memory in aphasia: theory, measures and clinical implications. Am J Speech-Lang Pathol 2005;14:107-118.
⁶
Germano C, Kinsella GJ. Working memory and learning in early Alzheimer´s disease. Neuropsychol Rev 2005;15:1-10.
⁷
Vakil E. The effect of moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) on different aspects of memory: a selective review. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2005;27:977-1021.
⁸
Caplan D, Waters F, Dede G. Specialized verbal working memory for language comprehension. In: Conway AFA, Jarrold C, Kane MJ, Miyake A, Towse JN (Eds). Variation in working memory. New York: Oxford University Press; 2007:21-48.
⁹
Schmiedek F, Li S-C, Lindenberger U. Interference and facilitation in spatial working memory: age associated differences in lure effects in the N-Back paradigm. Psychol Aging 2009;24:203-210.
¹⁰
McCabe J, Hartman M. Working memory for item and temporal information in younger and older adults. Aging Neuropsychol Cogn 2008;15:574-600.
¹¹
Friedmann N, Gvion A. Sentence comprehension and working memory limitation in aphasia: a dissociation between semantic-syntactic and phonological reactivation. Brain Lang 2003;86:23-39.
¹²
Bertolucci PHF, Brucki SMD, Campacci SR, Juliano Y. O Mini-Exame do Estado Mental em uma população geral: impacto da escolaridade. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 1992;52:1-7.
¹³
Bertolucci PHF, Mathias SC, Brucki SMD, Carrilho PEM, Okamoto IH, Nitrini R. Proposta de padronização do Mini-Exame do Estado Mental (MEEM): estudo piloto cooperativo (FMUSP/EPM). Arq Neuropsiquiatr 1994;52:225.
¹⁴
Yesavage JA, Brink TL, Rose TL, et al. Development and validation of a geriatric depression screening scale: a preliminary report. J Psychiatr Res 1983;17:37-49.
¹⁵
Bussad WO, Pereira JSC. Tábuas de Estatística. São Paulo: Harper & Raw do Brasil, 1985.
¹⁶
Lopes M, Seixas B. Lista de Freqüência para o português do Brasil. Manuscrito não publicado. 2008.
¹⁷
Dobbs AR, Rule BG. Adult age differences in working memory. Psychol Aging 1989; 4:500-503.
¹⁸
Hartley AA, Speer NK, Jonides J, Reuter-Lorenz PA, Smith EE. Is the dissociability of working memory systems for name identity, visual-object identity and spatial location maintained in old age. Neuropsychology 2001;15:3:17.
¹⁹
Van Gerven PWM, Meijer WA, Prickaerts JHM, Van der Veen FM. Aging and focus switching in working memory: excluding the potential role of memory load. Exp Aging Res 2008;34:367-378.
²⁰
Reuter-Lorenz PA, Jonides J. The executive is central to working memory: insights from age, performance, and task variations. In: Conway AFA, Jarrold C, Kane MJ, Miyake A, Towse JN (Eds). Variation in working memory. New York: Oxford University Press; 2007:251-271.

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
Apr-Jun 2009

History

Received
30 Apr 2009
Accepted
20 May 2009

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License

[1] ¹
Baddeley A. Introduction and overview. In: Baddeley A (Ed). Working memory, thought, and action. New York: Oxford University Press; 2007:1-13.

[2] ²
Kane MJ, Conway AFA, Hambrick DZ, Engle RW. Variation in working memory capacity as variation in executive attention and control. In: Conway AFA, Jarrold C, Kane MJ, Miyake A, Towse JN (Eds). Variation in working memory. New York: Oxford University Press; 2007:21-48.

[3] ³
Waters FS, Caplan D. The relationship between age, processing speed, working memory capacity, and language comprehension. Memory 2005;13:403-413.

[4] ⁴
Kubat-Silman AK, Dagenbach D, Absher JR. Patterns of impaired verbal, spatial and object working memory after thalamic lesions. Brain Cogn 2002;50:178-193.

[5] ⁵
Wright HH, Shisler RJ. Working memory in aphasia: theory, measures and clinical implications. Am J Speech-Lang Pathol 2005;14:107-118.

[6] ⁶
Germano C, Kinsella GJ. Working memory and learning in early Alzheimer´s disease. Neuropsychol Rev 2005;15:1-10.

[7] ⁷
Vakil E. The effect of moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) on different aspects of memory: a selective review. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2005;27:977-1021.

[8] ⁸
Caplan D, Waters F, Dede G. Specialized verbal working memory for language comprehension. In: Conway AFA, Jarrold C, Kane MJ, Miyake A, Towse JN (Eds). Variation in working memory. New York: Oxford University Press; 2007:21-48.

[9] ⁹
Schmiedek F, Li S-C, Lindenberger U. Interference and facilitation in spatial working memory: age associated differences in lure effects in the N-Back paradigm. Psychol Aging 2009;24:203-210.

[10] ¹⁰
McCabe J, Hartman M. Working memory for item and temporal information in younger and older adults. Aging Neuropsychol Cogn 2008;15:574-600.

[11] ¹¹
Friedmann N, Gvion A. Sentence comprehension and working memory limitation in aphasia: a dissociation between semantic-syntactic and phonological reactivation. Brain Lang 2003;86:23-39.

[12] ¹²
Bertolucci PHF, Brucki SMD, Campacci SR, Juliano Y. O Mini-Exame do Estado Mental em uma população geral: impacto da escolaridade. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 1992;52:1-7.

[13] ¹³
Bertolucci PHF, Mathias SC, Brucki SMD, Carrilho PEM, Okamoto IH, Nitrini R. Proposta de padronização do Mini-Exame do Estado Mental (MEEM): estudo piloto cooperativo (FMUSP/EPM). Arq Neuropsiquiatr 1994;52:225.

[14] ¹⁴
Yesavage JA, Brink TL, Rose TL, et al. Development and validation of a geriatric depression screening scale: a preliminary report. J Psychiatr Res 1983;17:37-49.

[15] ¹⁵
Bussad WO, Pereira JSC. Tábuas de Estatística. São Paulo: Harper & Raw do Brasil, 1985.

[16] ¹⁶
Lopes M, Seixas B. Lista de Freqüência para o português do Brasil. Manuscrito não publicado. 2008.

[17] ¹⁷
Dobbs AR, Rule BG. Adult age differences in working memory. Psychol Aging 1989; 4:500-503.

[18] ¹⁸
Hartley AA, Speer NK, Jonides J, Reuter-Lorenz PA, Smith EE. Is the dissociability of working memory systems for name identity, visual-object identity and spatial location maintained in old age. Neuropsychology 2001;15:3:17.

[19] ¹⁹
Van Gerven PWM, Meijer WA, Prickaerts JHM, Van der Veen FM. Aging and focus switching in working memory: excluding the potential role of memory load. Exp Aging Res 2008;34:367-378.

[20] ²⁰
Reuter-Lorenz PA, Jonides J. The executive is central to working memory: insights from age, performance, and task variations. In: Conway AFA, Jarrold C, Kane MJ, Miyake A, Towse JN (Eds). Variation in working memory. New York: Oxford University Press; 2007:251-271.

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