The relationship between short- and long-term memory is preserved across the age range

Abstract

The aim of the current study was to examine cross-sectionally the changes in the relationship between short- and long-term memory with age. In two experiments, participants across the age-range were tested on contextual-spatial memories, after short and long memory durations. Experimental control in stimulus materials and task demands enabled analogous encoding and probing for both memory durations. Across the two experiments, we found both short-term memory and long-term memory declined from early to late adulthood in healthy participants. Additionally, there was a significant relationship between short- and long-term memory performance which persisted throughout the age-range. Our findings suggest a significant degree of shared vulnerability for short- and long-term memories sharing the same spatialcontextual associations. Furthermore, our tasks provide a sensitive and promising framework for assessing and comparing memory function at different timescales in disorders with memory deficits at their core