Episodic Memory Decline and Healthy Aging

One of the functions most affected by the aging process is our memory for personally experienced past events, or episodic memory. The advent of human brain imaging techniques has greatly advanced our knowledge of the neural basis of episodic memory and its decline with age. Both structural and functional neuroimaging studies indicate important roles for medial temporal and prefrontal regions in age-related memory decline. Intriguingly, recent findings indicate that aging is not exclusively associated with decline. In fact, some older adults seem to cope with brain decline by shifting to alternative brain resources that can compensate for their memory deficits.