Page 34 - The Memory Program How to Prevent Memory Loss and Enhance Memory Power

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to anyone else who takes these tests, for example, one of your parents.

Other Tests of Memory

The Selective Reminding Test is a complex list-learning test that starts in a simple way: the tester
recites a list of twelve unrelated words and then asks the subject to recite all twelve words together.
Then comes the tricky part: the tester prompts the subject with only those words that the subject
missed on the first repetition, following which the subject is again required to repeat all twelve
words, that is, recite the words that were missed the first time as well as those that were “kept in
memory” from the first to the second trial. This sequence continues until the subject either gets all
twelve words correct in successive repetitions or a total of twelve trials is completed. In the delayed
recall part, the subject is challenged fifteen minutes after the last trial to recall the entire list of
twelve words. The large number of trials requires complex scoring procedures and
neuropsychological expertise. The Visual Reproduction subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale is a
different type of test because it evaluates the ability to remember shapes (recalling visual images).

Each test taps into a slightly different aspect of memory. A neuropsychologist typically
administers a whole range of tests and looks for consistent patterns of deficits. If the subject
performs well in all except one test, it may be due to a lapse in concentration. On the other hand, if
someone scores consistently below normal on several memory tests, further investigation is
necessary.

Factors That Affect Your Memory Test Performance

Three well-recognized factors can influence performance on memory tests: age, education, and
gender.

Age

Since it is “normal’’ for memory test scores to worsen as people grow older, the standard test scores
are adjusted downward to get the “norms” for that age group. Therefore, a “normal” ninety-year-old