Memory Retrieval in Noise and Psychophysiological Response in the Young and Old

Both noise and aging induce changes in memory performance that have been attributed to physiological overarousal. The aim of the current experiment was to examine variation in performance due to noise and aging and to determine if this variation was related to variation in general arousal or, alternatively, to changes in processes specifically required by memory retrieval. The cardiovascular responses of young and old men (n=30) were compared during a memory retrieval task performed in acoustic noise. Noise (90dBA) and old age independently increased the number of associatively cued recall errors relative to orthographically cued recall errors. Despite the change in errors, changes in general arousal were not observed in response to noise in either young or old volunteers. The task sequence induced consistent cardiac and vascular responses which were related to attention and rehearsal requirements, and also to performance. This suggests that task processing induces supportive physiological changes rather than that physiological change (arousal) constrains performance. Noise and age may alter physiological change independently by altering task processing and requirements for physiological support.