Neuropsychological test performances and normal aging.

This study was designed to assess the relevance of normal aging to performance in a variety of neuropsychological tests, in a wide range of age groups. The battery included tests of several cognitive abilities of varying complexity (attention, orientation, memory, self-regulation, categorial ability and so on). The results showed that some tests (Orientation, Attention, Digit Span, Naming, Block Design, Self-regulation, Calculation, Weigl) are not significantly affected by aging while in others performance clearly declines with age. However, the age at onset of the decline is far from uniform. In some tests (Logical Memory, delayed recall section of Supraspan Test, Hooper Test, Finger Tapping Test) it is manifest in early middle age while in others (Faces Recognition, Set Test, Reproduction of Geometric Designs) it does not appear until much later in life.