How Memory Changes With Age (It’s Not Just Forgetting)

Though dementia risk rises as we age, memory changes can be a part of healthy ageing.

Some people might occasionally miss a bill, find it harder to take in new information, or lose things without having anything to worry about (we’ve written before about the differences between normal age-related memory loss and differences you should speak to a GP about).

But some researchers think standard memory “loss” isn’t as straightforward as it sounds.

Professor Louis Renoult, the lead researcher in a paper published in Psychology and Ageing, said: “We wanted to better understand how young and older adults retrieve autobiographical memories – the personal experiences that form the story of our lives.

“These sorts of memories can range from… one-time events, such as a birthday party [specific memories], to more general or repeated experiences like commuting to work [episodic memories].

“We focused on how flexible people are when asked to shift between these types of memories, and what happens when that flexibility is put under pressure.”

In this study, researchers spoke to 74 participants – 37 students and 37 older adults. They were asked to recall both specific (general) and episodic (repeated) memories related to words, like “market”.

In the beginning, they stuck to one form of recollection (either episodic or specific). But later, they were asked to shift between memory types.

Then, the researchers measured how well different participants’ memories did by age.

Prof Renoult, part of the University of East Anglia’s School of Psychology, said: “We found that across all age groups, memory performance declined when participants had to switch between memory types.

“However, older adults were particularly affected in one area – they were less accurate at recalling more mundane repetitive memories, like commuting to work under switching conditions.”

Meanwhile, their ability to recall more specific memories, like a party, suffered far less.

“This suggests that certain types of memory retrieval may be more vulnerable to the effects of ageing when multitasking or adapting to changing demands,” added the professor.

Then, there was the nature of the memories to consider. When remembering specific events, older adults’ answers had fewer details about things like sights, sounds, and emotions.

Instead, they remembered more semantic details, including general knowledge; the same was true for episodic memories.

“When older adults recall events, the richness of those memories may be reduced,” Prof Renoult continued. “As we get older, our memories tend to become less detailed and more general, focusing on the overall story rather than specific moments.

“This shift may reflect changes in underlying brain systems involved in memory, particularly those responsible for retrieving detailed contextual information and managing complex cognitive tasks.”

The researchers hope findings like these can help us to learn more about the cognitive traits that may benefit or harm older people.

Their findings, Prof Renoult said, have “practical implications for everyday life”.

“ Tasks that require people to quickly adapt their thinking or switch between different kinds of recall – such as storytelling, decision-making or problem-solving – may become more challenging with age,” added the expert.

“At the same time, the increased reliance on semantic knowledge may have benefits. Generalised memories can support wisdom, pattern recognition, and efficient communication, even if the finer details are lost.”