Aging, Cognitive Efficiency, and Lifelong Learning: Impacts on Simple and Complex Sentence Production During Storytelling.

ABSTRACT: Objectives: This study investigated the effects of healthy aging on sentence production in narrative discourse and examined the role of cognitive abilities and Lifelong Learning (LLL) in mitigating age-related decline. Methods: Three hundred and seven Italian-speaking adults (26-89 years) completed a narrative task elicited from five picture stimuli, alongside assessments of verbal working memory, sustained attention, and inhibitory control. Morphological and morphosyntactic measures (morphological errors and omissions of content and function words) and syntactic variables (complete sentences, subordinate clauses, and passive sentences) were analyzed. Results: Aging was associated with increased morphological and morphosyntactic errors and reduced syntactic complexity.

SUBMITTER: D'Ortenzio S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12564211 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature