Aging and Memory in Humans

Memory involves the recall or recognition of information encoded in the recent or distant past. Even in the absence of age-related neurodegenerative conditions, such as dementia, there is significant decline in memory with normal aging. Memory is not a uniform construct; it can be divided hierarchically in taxonomic modules. This article discusses the differential impact of age on different types of long- and short-term memory, including semantic memory, episodic memory, source memory, procedural memory, priming, and working memory. The article concludes with a brief discussion about how cardiovascular risk factors and cognitive reserve may modulate the effect of normal aging on memory systems. AgingCerebrovascular riskCognitive reserveEpisodic memoryLong-term memoryMemoryPrimingProcedural memoryShort-term memorySource memoryWorking memor