The Effect of Aging on the Relationship Between Spatial Relational Memory and Intelligence

Authors: Ashley Jakubowicz, Taylor Brown

Field of Study: Science, Technology, Engineering, and/or Math

Faculty Mentors: Michael Dulas

Easel: 11

Timeslot: Afternoon

Abstract: Fluid intelligence, crystalized intelligence, and relational memory are often tied to separate brain processes, but are also correlated with each other. The interaction between these effects, and how they are impacted by aging, has not been fully studied. This study examined interactions between fluid/crystallized intelligence and spatial relational memory for real vs. abstract stimuli. Relational memory was measured via a spatial reconstruction task, and correlated with standardized measures of fluid vs. crystallized intelligence. Spatial memory of abstract objects uniquely correlated with fluid intelligence, while spatial memory for concrete objects uniquely correlated with crystallized intelligence. These data suggest spatial memory is not a unitary process and that performance relies on 1) general hippocampal memory processes and 2) unique prefrontal fluid vs. semantic processes, depending on stimulus type. These data also suggest there may be unique age-related trajectories of Spatial Memory vs. Intelligence depending on the nature of the stimuli.