Spatial memory on a novel landmark navigation task in young and old adults

Abstract

The current study aims to investigate the effects of age on spatial memory and navigational abilities. Spatial navigation abilities were examined in the following age groups: young adults (18-25 years old) and old adults (65 years old and up). A new spatial task was developed virtually to examine age differences in spatial navigation performance: a novel Landmark Navigation Task. It was hypothesized that the young adults will outperform the old adults in the novel landmark navigation task. Findings supported the hypothesis. Young adults performed significantly better than the old adults on the novel landmark navigation task. This aging effect was also seen in men and women in this study. Young men performed significantly better than old men on the novel landmark navigation task. Similarly, young women performed significantly better than old women on the novel landmark navigation task. Based on these findings, we can conclude that spatial navigation ability is sensitive to age-related cognitive decline in aging adults. Keywords: age differences, spatial memory, spatial navigation, landmark, virtual reality