Dr. Amy Belfi and Ava Stroud present “Autobiographical Memory Across the Lifespan” on October 16th at 3pm.

Summary: With steady growth of the aging population and associated pathologies such as Alzheimer’s disease, the need for understanding age-related changes in cognition is critical. One important aspect of cognition that declines as people age is the ability to recall vivid autobiographical memories. Music has been shown to be an effective cue for evoking vivid, specific, and highly emotional autobiographical memories. However, the mechanism underlying the effects of music on memory, as well as whether music confers a memory benefit superior to other sensory cues, is currently unknown. Here, we will present a series of experiments investigating the relationship between music and autobiographical memory in healthy adults across the lifespan and in patients with neurological damage. Overall, this work aims to develop a mechanistic understanding of how music affects autobiographical memory, both in healthy and pathological aging.

Presenters: Dr. Amy Belfi, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Missouri S&T, and Ava Stroud, Psychology Undergraduate, Missouri S&T
Date/Time: Wednesday, Oct 16: 3-4pm
Location: Centennial 104