People often have trouble finding their way as they get older. This is usually because their spatial memory gets worse. However, a recent study from the US suggests that how people explore new places also changes with age.
The study found that middle-aged people are less good at exploring a maze than younger people. They focus more on certain spots instead of the whole layout. This change in how they explore could be a big reason why older people have more trouble with navigation.
The study, published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, had middle-aged and young volunteers use virtual reality to navigate a maze. The results showed that middle-aged people traveled less distance, paused longer at decision points, and looked at more objects than younger people. These differences were so clear that artificial intelligence could tell how old a person was just by watching their behavior in the maze.
The researchers think that training to improve exploration behavior could help middle-aged people keep their cognitive abilities and slow down mental decline. This study might also help diagnose early cognitive decline in conditions like Alzheimer’s disease by looking at changes in how people explore.
Vocabulary List
- Navigation /?næv???e???n/ (noun): The process of finding your way from one place to another.
- Spatial memory /?spe???l ?m?m?ri/ (noun): The part of memory responsible for recording information about one’s environment.
- Maze /me?z/ (noun): A network of paths designed as a puzzle through which one has to find a way.
- Virtual reality /?v?rt?u?l ri?æl?ti/ (noun): A computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional environment.
- Cognitive /?k??n?t?v/ (adjective): Related to the process of knowing, understanding, and learning something.
- Artificial intelligence /???rt??f???l ?n?t?l?d??ns/ (noun): The simulation of human intelligence processes by computer systems.
Vocabulary List:
- Navigation //ˌnæv.ɪˈɡeɪ.ʃən// (noun): The process of finding your way from one place to another.
- Spatial memory //ˈspeɪ.ʃəl ˈmɛm.ər.i// (noun): The part of memory responsible for recording information about one’s environment.
- Cognitive //ˈkɑːɡ.nɪ.tɪv// (adjective): Related to the process of knowing understanding and learning something.
- Artificial intelligence //ˌɑːr.tɪˈfɪʃ.əl ɪnˈtɛl.ɪ.dʒəns// (noun): The simulation of human intelligence processes by computer systems.
- Virtual reality //ˈvɜːrtʃuəl riˈæl.ɪ.ti// (noun): A computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional environment.
- Maze //meɪz// (noun): A network of paths designed as a puzzle through which one has to find a way.
