Mismatch negativity predicts age-related declines in memory precision

Ricky Chow; Stevenson Baker; Shimin Mo; Jennifer A Bugos; Claude Alain; R Shayna Rosenbaum

doi:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2024.11.012

Mismatch negativity predicts age-related declines in memory precision

Neurobiol Aging. 2024 Dec 4:147:32-48. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2024.11.012. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Ricky Chow¹, Stevenson Baker¹, Shimin Mo², Jennifer A Bugos³, Claude Alain², R Shayna Rosenbaum⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Centre for Integrative and Applied Neuroscience, and Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada; Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, Toronto, Ontario M6A 2E1, Canada.
² Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, Toronto, Ontario M6A 2E1, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G3, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada.
³ Department of Psychology, Centre for Integrative and Applied Neuroscience, and Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada; Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, Toronto, Ontario M6A 2E1, Canada; School of Music, College of the Arts, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.
⁴ Department of Psychology, Centre for Integrative and Applied Neuroscience, and Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada; Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, Toronto, Ontario M6A 2E1, Canada. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 39689526
DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2024.11.012

Abstract

Does precision in auditory perception predict precision in subsequent memory (i.e., mnemonic discrimination) in aging? This study examined if the mismatch negativity (MMN), an electrophysiological marker of change detection and encoding, relates to age differences in mnemonic discrimination. The MMN was recorded in 92 adults (18-86 years, 47 females) in a passive oddball paradigm using tone sequences. Participants then completed a surprise recognition test for presented sequences (i.e., old targets) against novel sequences (i.e., similar lures and dissimilar foils). Across the adult lifespan, MMN amplitudes showed attenuation with increasing age, accompanied by worse performance discriminating targets from lures and foils. Across participants, smaller MMN amplitude predicted worse recognition performance. Notably, MMN amplitude partially explained age-related declines in target-lure discriminability, but not target-foil discriminability. Findings reinforce the MMN as a marker of mnemonic discrimination, and clarify how age-related declines in memory precision at retrieval may be explained by age differences at encoding.

Keywords: Aging; Electroencephalography; Episodic memory; Mismatch negativity; Mnemonic discrimination; Pattern separation.