Age-related changes in sentence production abilities and their relation to working-memory capacity: evidence from a verb-final language.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

This study investigated the best predictor to capture age-related changes in passive-sentence production using a constrained sentence-production paradigm and explored the role of working-memory capacity in relation to the task demands of the sentence-production tasks.

Methods

A total of 60 participants participated in the study ranging in age from 21 to 86. All were administered a syntactic-priming and a sentence-completion task under either canonical or noncanonical word-order conditions.

Results

Age was significantly and negatively correlated with sentence-production tasks, and the most demanding condition with a noncanonical word order under the syntactic priming paradigm was the best predictor of aging. Working-memory capacity was significantly and posi

SUBMITTER: Sung JE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4391780 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature