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Sex is an important factor to consider when evaluating memory with older adults. This present study aimed to examine sex differences in memory within a clinical sample of older adults (N = 1084). Raw learning and recall scores on the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test, Revised (HVLT-R) and Brief Visuospatial Memory Test, Revised (BVMT-R) were compared between sexes within the entire sample and cohorts stratified by age. Within the entire sample, women outperformed men in HVLT-R learning and recall, and there were no sex differences in BVMT-R performance. These sex differences, however, were absent or reversed for those with impaired HVLT-R performance and functional deficits, indicating that women retain an early advantage in verbal memory, which is lost with greater indication of disease severity. These findings indicate that women retain an advantage in verbal learning and memory, at least before significant levels of impairment, within a sample of older adults seen at an outpatient neurology clinic, which may have implications for diagnosing memory disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data from the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) trial (N = 2,802) were analyzed to examine whether word list learning predicts future everyday functioning. Using stepwise random effects modeling, measures from the modified administrations of the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT) and the Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) were independently predictive of everyday IADL functioning, problem-solving, and psychomotor speed. Associations between memory scores and everyday functioning outcomes remained significant across follow-up intervals spanning 5 years. HVLT total recall score was consistently the strongest predictor of each functional outcome. Results suggest that verbal memory measures are uniquely associated with both current and future functioning and that specific verbal memory tests like the HVLT and AVLT have important clinical utility in predicting future functional ability among older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The neuropsychological test scores of 2,030 cognitively normal older adults were examined to evaluate performance patterns as they related to time of day (TOD) at which testing was initiated. Multiple regression analyses were used to examine the association of TOD with scores on seven neuropsychological tests used in the clinical evaluation of dementia. Episodic memory performance was significantly related to TOD, while memory span and verbal fluency were not. Best performance occurred during early morning hours and late afternoon; worst performance occurred mid-day (i.e., noon). These findings may have implications for clinical assessment, the design of research on dementia, and the daily functioning of older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness of three memory improvement programs, relative to a wait-list condition, was evaluated in residents of a retirement community. The interventions consisted of: (a) a group-based memory course; (b) one of two self-paced, commercially available audiotape memory improvement programs; and (c) individualized, microcomputer-based, memory training. Participants in each condition received approximately 90 minutes of instruction per week for 9 weeks. Memory performance and self-reported memory function and mood were assessed before and after each intervention. Significant performance gains were found in all three groups on the Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test, but these gains were not accompanied by gains in word-list learning or perceived improvement in memory. Whereas participants in all three conditions also reported fewer depressive symptoms after intervention, these changes did not account for the improved memory performance. Participants who showed performance gains with intervention were taking fewer medications and were less likely to have a history of heart disease than those who did not improve. There was little evidence that one intervention was superior to any other, suggesting that mnemonically stimulating activity, rather than any specific process, is responsible for improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]