Flexible Use of Spatial Frames of Reference for Object–Location Memory in Older Adults

In memory, representations of spatial features are stored in different reference frames; features relative to our position are stored egocentrically and features relative to each other are stored allocentrically. Accessing these representations engages many cognitive and neural resources, and so is...

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Autores principales:	Natalia Ladyka-Wojcik, Rosanna K. Olsen, Jennifer D. Ryan, Morgan D. Barense
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	MDPI AG 2021
Materias:	spatial memory frames of reference aging MoCA cognitive flexibility mental representations Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry RC321-571
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/10170fde319341858c7173c1a7634bbf
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id	oai:doaj.org-article:10170fde319341858c7173c1a7634bbf
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:10170fde319341858c7173c1a7634bbf2021-11-25T16:59:20ZFlexible Use of Spatial Frames of Reference for Object–Location Memory in Older Adults10.3390/brainsci111115422076-3425https://doaj.org/article/10170fde319341858c7173c1a7634bbf2021-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/11/1542https://doaj.org/toc/2076-3425In memory, representations of spatial features are stored in different reference frames; features relative to our position are stored egocentrically and features relative to each other are stored allocentrically. Accessing these representations engages many cognitive and neural resources, and so is susceptible to age-related breakdown. Yet, recent findings on the heterogeneity of cognitive function and spatial ability in healthy older adults suggest that aging may not uniformly impact the flexible use of spatial representations. These factors have yet to be explored in a precisely controlled task that explicitly manipulates spatial frames of reference across learning and retrieval. We used a lab-based virtual reality task to investigate the relationship between object–location memory across frames of reference, cognitive status, and self-reported spatial ability. Memory error was measured using Euclidean distance from studied object locations to participants’ responses at testing. Older adults recalled object locations less accurately when they switched between frames of reference from learning to testing, compared with when they remained in the same frame of reference. They also showed an allocentric learning advantage, producing less error when switching from an allocentric to an egocentric frame of reference, compared with the reverse direction of switching. Higher MoCA scores and better self-assessed spatial ability predicted less memory error, especially when learning occurred egocentrically. We suggest that egocentric learning deficits are driven by difficulty in binding multiple viewpoints into a coherent representation. Finally, we highlight the heterogeneity of spatial memory performance in healthy older adults as a potential cognitive marker for neurodegeneration, beyond normal aging.Natalia Ladyka-WojcikRosanna K. OlsenJennifer D. RyanMorgan D. BarenseMDPI AGarticlespatial memoryframes of referenceagingMoCAcognitive flexibilitymental representationsNeurosciences. Biological psychiatry. NeuropsychiatryRC321-571ENBrain Sciences, Vol 11, Iss 1542, p 1542 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	spatial memory frames of reference aging MoCA cognitive flexibility mental representations Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry RC321-571
spellingShingle	spatial memory frames of reference aging MoCA cognitive flexibility mental representations Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry RC321-571 Natalia Ladyka-Wojcik Rosanna K. Olsen Jennifer D. Ryan Morgan D. Barense Flexible Use of Spatial Frames of Reference for Object–Location Memory in Older Adults
description	In memory, representations of spatial features are stored in different reference frames; features relative to our position are stored egocentrically and features relative to each other are stored allocentrically. Accessing these representations engages many cognitive and neural resources, and so is susceptible to age-related breakdown. Yet, recent findings on the heterogeneity of cognitive function and spatial ability in healthy older adults suggest that aging may not uniformly impact the flexible use of spatial representations. These factors have yet to be explored in a precisely controlled task that explicitly manipulates spatial frames of reference across learning and retrieval. We used a lab-based virtual reality task to investigate the relationship between object–location memory across frames of reference, cognitive status, and self-reported spatial ability. Memory error was measured using Euclidean distance from studied object locations to participants’ responses at testing. Older adults recalled object locations less accurately when they switched between frames of reference from learning to testing, compared with when they remained in the same frame of reference. They also showed an allocentric learning advantage, producing less error when switching from an allocentric to an egocentric frame of reference, compared with the reverse direction of switching. Higher MoCA scores and better self-assessed spatial ability predicted less memory error, especially when learning occurred egocentrically. We suggest that egocentric learning deficits are driven by difficulty in binding multiple viewpoints into a coherent representation. Finally, we highlight the heterogeneity of spatial memory performance in healthy older adults as a potential cognitive marker for neurodegeneration, beyond normal aging.
format	article
author	Natalia Ladyka-Wojcik Rosanna K. Olsen Jennifer D. Ryan Morgan D. Barense
author_facet	Natalia Ladyka-Wojcik Rosanna K. Olsen Jennifer D. Ryan Morgan D. Barense
author_sort	Natalia Ladyka-Wojcik
title	Flexible Use of Spatial Frames of Reference for Object–Location Memory in Older Adults
title_short	Flexible Use of Spatial Frames of Reference for Object–Location Memory in Older Adults
title_full	Flexible Use of Spatial Frames of Reference for Object–Location Memory in Older Adults
title_fullStr	Flexible Use of Spatial Frames of Reference for Object–Location Memory in Older Adults
title_full_unstemmed	Flexible Use of Spatial Frames of Reference for Object–Location Memory in Older Adults
title_sort	flexible use of spatial frames of reference for object–location memory in older adults
publisher	MDPI AG
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/10170fde319341858c7173c1a7634bbf
work_keys_str_mv	AT natalialadykawojcik flexibleuseofspatialframesofreferenceforobjectlocationmemoryinolderadults AT rosannakolsen flexibleuseofspatialframesofreferenceforobjectlocationmemoryinolderadults AT jenniferdryan flexibleuseofspatialframesofreferenceforobjectlocationmemoryinolderadults AT morgandbarense flexibleuseofspatialframesofreferenceforobjectlocationmemoryinolderadults
_version_	1718412819435618304

Flexible Use of Spatial Frames of Reference for Object–Location Memory in Older Adults

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