Journal
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY
Volume 15, Issue 3, Pages 257-261Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC
DOI: 10.1097/01.JGP.0000240985.10411.3e
Keywords
memory; autobiography; elderly; old age
Categories
Funding
- NIMH NIH HHS [MH01239, MH40041, MH35182] Funding Source: Medline
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In this pilot study, the authors examined whether participation in a structured autobiographic writing workshop positively influenced memory performance in a group of community-dwelling older adults. Eighteen subjects, aged 62-84 years, were enrolled in an eight-week writing workshop. At baseline and follow up, they completed five memory assessments and submitted two writing samples, which were evaluated for linguistic complexity. The authors found a significant increase in follow-up scores on tests of verbal memory and attention, indicating a possible positive influence of the writing workshop. The authors also found a decline in idea density, suggesting that more research is needed to better understand how interpretation of the language assessment tool may be affected by improvements in writing.
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