Date Published:
2014 Jul
Publication Type:
Journal Article
Authors:
Secondary:
J Int Neuropsychol Soc
Volume:
20
Pagination:
611-9
Issue:
6
PMID:
24960230
URL:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24960230
Keywords:
Adolescent;Adult;Age Factors;Aged;Aged, 80 and over;Aging;CHARTER;Child;Child, Preschool;External;Female;Humans;Male;Memory, Episodic;Middle Aged;National Institutes of Health (U.S.);Neuropsychological Tests;Photic Stimulation;Reproducibility of Results;Statistics as Topic;United States;Verbal Learning;Young Adult
Abstract:
<p>Episodic memory is one of the most important cognitive domains that involves acquiring, storing and recalling new information. In this article, we describe a new measure developed for the NIH Toolbox, called the Picture Sequence Memory Test (PSMT) that is the first to examine episodic memory across the age range from 3 to 85. We describe the development of the measure and present validation data for ages 20 to 85. The PSMT involves presentation of sequences of pictured objects and activities in a fixed order on a computer screen and simultaneously verbally described, that the participant must remember and then reproduce over three learning trials. The results indicate good test-retest reliability and construct validity. Performance is strongly related to well-established "gold standard" measures of episodic memory and, as expected, much less well correlated with those of a measure of vocabulary. It shows clear decline with aging in parallel with a gold standard summary measure and relates to several other demographic factors and to self-reported general health status. The PSMT appears to be a reliable and valid test of episodic memory for adults, a finding similar to those found for the same measure with children.</p>