Cognitive Strategies and Memory Performance in Aging Populations
Summary
Ageing is typically accompanied by declines in episodic memory, associative binding and strategic retrieval, yet considerable variability exists across individuals. Cognitive strategies—ranging from internal mnemonic techniques such as semantic clustering and elaborative encoding to external aids like calendars and digital reminders—can partly offset age-related memory deficits. Executive functions, including inhibition, cognitive flexibility and working‐memory updating, underpin the selection and implementation of these strategies, governing how information is organised and rehearsed. Neuroimaging studies reveal that older adults who maintain memory performance often show increased recruitment of prefrontal regions associated with strategic control, suggesting functional compensation. Interventions targeting metacognitive training, combined with lifestyle factors such as education, reading habits and positive affect, demonstrate promise in enhancing both strategy use and everyday memory outcomes. Understanding the interplay between strategy repertoire, neural plasticity and psychological factors is vital in developing tailored interventions that support autonomy and quality of life in an ageing global population.
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Cognitive Strategies and Memory Performance in Aging Populations publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in cognitive strategies and memory performance in aging populations across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Executive functions: High-level cognitive processes—such as inhibition, cognitive flexibility and working-memory updating—that regulate goal-directed behaviour and strategy implementation.
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI): A clinical condition marked by cognitive decline greater than expected for age and education but not severe enough to impair independence in daily life.
Semantic clustering: A memory strategy involving grouping items by shared meaning during encoding or retrieval to enhance recall.
Compensatory memory strategies: Techniques adopted to offset cognitive deficits by improving organisation, encoding or retrieval of information.
Subjective cognitive decline (SCD): Self-perceived worsening of cognitive abilities in the absence of measurable impairment on standard neuropsychological assessments.
References
- Understanding the Episodic Memory and Executive Functioning Axis Impairment in MCI Patients: A Multicenter Study in Comparison with CSF Biomarkers. Biomedicines (2023).
- Psychological characteristics and functional abilities in older adults with subjective cognitive complaints: A potential new target for early intervention. International Psychogeriatrics (2025).
- Cognitive Strategies: Moderating the Relationship between Executive Functions and Daily Functioning. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2022).
- Verbal and visuospatial executive functions in healthy elderly: The impact of education and frequency of reading and writing. Dementia & Neuropsychologia (2014).
- Semantic Clustering during Verbal Episodic Memory Encoding and Retrieval in Older Adults: One Cognitive Mechanism of Superaging. Brain Sciences (2024).
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