TY  - JOUR
AU  - Merhav, Maayan
AU  - Riemer, Martin
AU  - Wolbers, Thomas
TI  - Spatial updating deficits in human aging are associated with traces of former memory representations.
JO  - Neurobiology of aging
VL  - 76
SN  - 0197-4580
CY  - Amsterdam [u.a.]
PB  - Elsevier Science
M1  - DZNE-2020-06835
SP  - 53-61
PY  - 2019
AB  - The ability to update spatial memories is important for everyday situations, such as remembering where we left our keys or parked our car. Although rodent studies have suggested that old age might impair spatial updating, direct evidence for such a deficit in humans is missing. Here, we tested whether spatial updating deficits occur in human aging, whether the learning mode influences spatial updating, and what mnemonic mechanism underlies the presumed deficits. To address these questions, younger and older participants had to indicate the latest location of relocated items, following either incidental or intentional learning. Using eye tracking, we further quantified memory traces of the original and updated locations. We found that older participants were selectively impaired in recalling locations of relocated items. Furthermore, they depicted relatively stronger representations of the original locations, which were correlated with their spatial updating deficits. The findings demonstrate that stronger representations of former spatial contexts can impair spatial updating in aging, a mechanism that can help explain the commonly observed age-related decline in spatial memory.
KW  - Adult
KW  - Aged
KW  - Aging: psychology
KW  - Female
KW  - Humans
KW  - Learning: physiology
KW  - Male
KW  - Memory Disorders: psychology
KW  - Mental Recall
KW  - Proactive Inhibition
KW  - Space Perception: physiology
KW  - Spatial Memory: physiology
KW  - Spatial Navigation: physiology
KW  - Young Adult
LB  - PUB:(DE-HGF)16
C6  - pmid:30703626
DO  - DOI:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2018.12.010
UR  - https://pub.dzne.de/record/140513
ER  -