Smith G, Della Sala S, Logie R H, Maylor E A
Department of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, UK.
Memory. 2000 Sep;8(5):311-21. doi: 10.1080/09658210050117735.
Frequency of prospective memory and retrospective memory failures was rated on a 16-item questionnaire by 862 volunteers, from five groups: patients with Alzheimer Disease (rated by carers), carers of Alzheimer Disease patients, elderly, young, and a group of married couples. Reported memory failures were highest for Alzheimer Disease patients, and lowest for carers, with elderly and young controls in between. More prospective memory than retrospective memory failures were reported in all groups, although the difference was small for Alzheimer Disease patients who were rated near ceiling for both. Prospective memory failures of Alzheimer Disease patients were reported as more frustrating for carers than retrospective memory failures; prospective memory and retrospective memory failures frustrated Alzheimer Disease patients equally. Data from the couples indicated that there were no biases resulting from rating on behalf of someone else. These results suggest that: (1) normal ageing has no greater effect on self-reported retrospective memory than prospective memory failures, (2) the relatively small number of memory failures reported by carers may result from comparing themselves with the Alzheimer Disease patients in their care, and (3) prospective memory failures have a greater impact on the lives of the carers and are therefore more likely to be reported as early indicants of the disease.
862名志愿者来自五个群体：阿尔茨海默病患者（由护理人员评定）、阿尔茨海默病患者的护理人员、老年人、年轻人以及一组已婚夫妇，他们通过一份包含16个条目的问卷对前瞻记忆和回溯记忆失误的频率进行了评定。报告的记忆失误在阿尔茨海默病患者中最高，在护理人员中最低，老年人和年轻对照组介于两者之间。所有组中报告的前瞻记忆失误都多于回溯记忆失误，尽管对于在两项评定中都接近满分的阿尔茨海默病患者来说，这种差异很小。对于护理人员而言，阿尔茨海默病患者的前瞻记忆失误比回溯记忆失误更令人沮丧；前瞻记忆失误和回溯记忆失误对阿尔茨海默病患者的困扰程度相当。来自夫妻组的数据表明，代他人评定不会产生偏差。这些结果表明：（1）正常衰老对自我报告的回溯记忆的影响并不比对前瞻记忆失误的影响更大；（2）护理人员报告的记忆失误相对较少，可能是因为他们将自己与所照顾的阿尔茨海默病患者进行了比较；（3）前瞻记忆失误对护理人员的生活影响更大，因此更有可能被报告为该疾病的早期指标。
