Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on recognition and testimony memory: differential effects in young and older adults

Autores
Bonilla, Matías; Flores Kanter, Pablo Ezequiel; Vidal, Vanessa; Jiménez, Zahira A.; León, Candela Sofía; Urreta Benitez, Facundo Antonio; Brusco, Luis Ignacio; Vázquez Chenlo, Aylin; Corfdir, Yohann; Garcia Bauza, Cristian Dario; Forcato, Cecilia
Año de publicación
2025
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted global mental health, with younger adults showing higher levels of anxiety and depression than older adults. Given the strong association between emotional states, sleep quality, and memory, the pandemic provided a unique context to investigate how stress influences episodic memory across age groups. We hypothesized that the typical memory advantage of younger adults would be diminished, or even reversed, relative to the performance of older adults on different memory tasks. A total of 159 participants from Buenos Aires were recruited and divided into independent samples. Younger adults during the pandemic (n = 42, M = 16.93, SD = 1.85) and post-pandemic (n = 38, M = 17.31, SD = 1.74), and older adults during the pandemic (n = 41, M = 71.36, SD = 4.84) and post-pandemic (n = 38, M = 65.38, SD = 4.03). In two online sessions, participants completed questionnaires on anxiety, depression, and sleep, watched an aversive video, and performed free recall, facial recognition, and chronological order tasks. Free recall reports were further examined with semantic network measures. Results showed that younger adults reported higher anxiety and depression than older adults, with anxiety decreasing only post-pandemic (p < 0.001). During the pandemic, older adults recalled more episodic details than younger adults (p < 0.01); however, contrary to our expectations, post-pandemic the typical pattern was not restored, as younger adults performed at the same level as older adults on this task. Younger adults performed better than older adults in recalling gist details, defined as a predefined set of central elements from the event, post-pandemic (p < 0.01), and consistently showed better facial recognition across both periods (p < 0.05). Semantic networks were more modular in older adults (p < 0.001), while younger adults’ networks became more efficient post-pandemic. These findings suggest that pandemic stress temporarily reversed age-related memory patterns.
Fil: Bonilla, Matías. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; Argentina
Fil: Flores Kanter, Pablo Ezequiel. Universidad Empresarial Siglo XXI; Argentina
Fil: Vidal, Vanessa. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina
Fil: Jiménez, Zahira A.. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; Argentina
Fil: León, Candela Sofía. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina
Fil: Urreta Benitez, Facundo Antonio. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina
Fil: Brusco, Luis Ignacio. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina
Fil: Vázquez Chenlo, Aylin. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; Argentina
Fil: Corfdir, Yohann. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; Argentina
Fil: Garcia Bauza, Cristian Dario. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Grupo de Plasmas Densos Magnetizados. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Grupo de Plasmas Densos Magnetizados; Argentina
Fil: Forcato, Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; Argentina
Materia
EPISODIC MEMORY
AGING
FREE RECALL
COVID-19
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso abierto
Condiciones de uso
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ar/
Repositorio
CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Institución
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
OAI Identificador
oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/279653
Acceder
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repository_id_str 3498
network_name_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
spelling Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on recognition and testimony memory: differential effects in young and older adultsBonilla, MatíasFlores Kanter, Pablo EzequielVidal, VanessaJiménez, Zahira A.León, Candela SofíaUrreta Benitez, Facundo AntonioBrusco, Luis IgnacioVázquez Chenlo, AylinCorfdir, YohannGarcia Bauza, Cristian DarioForcato, CeciliaEPISODIC MEMORYAGINGFREE RECALLCOVID-19https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted global mental health, with younger adults showing higher levels of anxiety and depression than older adults. Given the strong association between emotional states, sleep quality, and memory, the pandemic provided a unique context to investigate how stress influences episodic memory across age groups. We hypothesized that the typical memory advantage of younger adults would be diminished, or even reversed, relative to the performance of older adults on different memory tasks. A total of 159 participants from Buenos Aires were recruited and divided into independent samples. Younger adults during the pandemic (n = 42, M = 16.93, SD = 1.85) and post-pandemic (n = 38, M = 17.31, SD = 1.74), and older adults during the pandemic (n = 41, M = 71.36, SD = 4.84) and post-pandemic (n = 38, M = 65.38, SD = 4.03). In two online sessions, participants completed questionnaires on anxiety, depression, and sleep, watched an aversive video, and performed free recall, facial recognition, and chronological order tasks. Free recall reports were further examined with semantic network measures. Results showed that younger adults reported higher anxiety and depression than older adults, with anxiety decreasing only post-pandemic (p < 0.001). During the pandemic, older adults recalled more episodic details than younger adults (p < 0.01); however, contrary to our expectations, post-pandemic the typical pattern was not restored, as younger adults performed at the same level as older adults on this task. Younger adults performed better than older adults in recalling gist details, defined as a predefined set of central elements from the event, post-pandemic (p < 0.01), and consistently showed better facial recognition across both periods (p < 0.05). Semantic networks were more modular in older adults (p < 0.001), while younger adults’ networks became more efficient post-pandemic. These findings suggest that pandemic stress temporarily reversed age-related memory patterns.Fil: Bonilla, Matías. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Flores Kanter, Pablo Ezequiel. Universidad Empresarial Siglo XXI; ArgentinaFil: Vidal, Vanessa. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Jiménez, Zahira A.. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: León, Candela Sofía. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Urreta Benitez, Facundo Antonio. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Brusco, Luis Ignacio. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Vázquez Chenlo, Aylin. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Corfdir, Yohann. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Garcia Bauza, Cristian Dario. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Grupo de Plasmas Densos Magnetizados. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Grupo de Plasmas Densos Magnetizados; ArgentinaFil: Forcato, Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFrontiers Media2025-10info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/11336/279653Bonilla, Matías; Flores Kanter, Pablo Ezequiel; Vidal, Vanessa; Jiménez, Zahira A.; León, Candela Sofía; et al.; Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on recognition and testimony memory: differential effects in young and older adults; Frontiers Media; Frontiers in Psychology; 16; 10-2025; 1-151664-1078CONICET DigitalCONICETenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1557634/fullinfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1557634info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ar/reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas2026-02-06T12:03:29Zoai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/279653instacron:CONICETInstitucionalhttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/oai/requestdasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:34982026-02-06 12:03:29.553CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicasfalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on recognition and testimony memory: differential effects in young and older adults
title Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on recognition and testimony memory: differential effects in young and older adults
spellingShingle Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on recognition and testimony memory: differential effects in young and older adults
Bonilla, Matías
EPISODIC MEMORY
AGING
FREE RECALL
COVID-19
title_short Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on recognition and testimony memory: differential effects in young and older adults
title_full Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on recognition and testimony memory: differential effects in young and older adults
title_fullStr Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on recognition and testimony memory: differential effects in young and older adults
title_full_unstemmed Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on recognition and testimony memory: differential effects in young and older adults
title_sort Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on recognition and testimony memory: differential effects in young and older adults
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Bonilla, Matías
Flores Kanter, Pablo Ezequiel
Vidal, Vanessa
Jiménez, Zahira A.
León, Candela Sofía
Urreta Benitez, Facundo Antonio
Brusco, Luis Ignacio
Vázquez Chenlo, Aylin
Corfdir, Yohann
Garcia Bauza, Cristian Dario
Forcato, Cecilia
author Bonilla, Matías
author_facet Bonilla, Matías
Flores Kanter, Pablo Ezequiel
Vidal, Vanessa
Jiménez, Zahira A.
León, Candela Sofía
Urreta Benitez, Facundo Antonio
Brusco, Luis Ignacio
Vázquez Chenlo, Aylin
Corfdir, Yohann
Garcia Bauza, Cristian Dario
Forcato, Cecilia
author_role author
author2 Flores Kanter, Pablo Ezequiel
Vidal, Vanessa
Jiménez, Zahira A.
León, Candela Sofía
Urreta Benitez, Facundo Antonio
Brusco, Luis Ignacio
Vázquez Chenlo, Aylin
Corfdir, Yohann
Garcia Bauza, Cristian Dario
Forcato, Cecilia
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv EPISODIC MEMORY
AGING
FREE RECALL
COVID-19
topic EPISODIC MEMORY
AGING
FREE RECALL
COVID-19
purl_subject.fl_str_mv https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted global mental health, with younger adults showing higher levels of anxiety and depression than older adults. Given the strong association between emotional states, sleep quality, and memory, the pandemic provided a unique context to investigate how stress influences episodic memory across age groups. We hypothesized that the typical memory advantage of younger adults would be diminished, or even reversed, relative to the performance of older adults on different memory tasks. A total of 159 participants from Buenos Aires were recruited and divided into independent samples. Younger adults during the pandemic (n = 42, M = 16.93, SD = 1.85) and post-pandemic (n = 38, M = 17.31, SD = 1.74), and older adults during the pandemic (n = 41, M = 71.36, SD = 4.84) and post-pandemic (n = 38, M = 65.38, SD = 4.03). In two online sessions, participants completed questionnaires on anxiety, depression, and sleep, watched an aversive video, and performed free recall, facial recognition, and chronological order tasks. Free recall reports were further examined with semantic network measures. Results showed that younger adults reported higher anxiety and depression than older adults, with anxiety decreasing only post-pandemic (p < 0.001). During the pandemic, older adults recalled more episodic details than younger adults (p < 0.01); however, contrary to our expectations, post-pandemic the typical pattern was not restored, as younger adults performed at the same level as older adults on this task. Younger adults performed better than older adults in recalling gist details, defined as a predefined set of central elements from the event, post-pandemic (p < 0.01), and consistently showed better facial recognition across both periods (p < 0.05). Semantic networks were more modular in older adults (p < 0.001), while younger adults’ networks became more efficient post-pandemic. These findings suggest that pandemic stress temporarily reversed age-related memory patterns.
Fil: Bonilla, Matías. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; Argentina
Fil: Flores Kanter, Pablo Ezequiel. Universidad Empresarial Siglo XXI; Argentina
Fil: Vidal, Vanessa. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina
Fil: Jiménez, Zahira A.. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; Argentina
Fil: León, Candela Sofía. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina
Fil: Urreta Benitez, Facundo Antonio. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina
Fil: Brusco, Luis Ignacio. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina
Fil: Vázquez Chenlo, Aylin. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; Argentina
Fil: Corfdir, Yohann. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; Argentina
Fil: Garcia Bauza, Cristian Dario. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Grupo de Plasmas Densos Magnetizados. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Grupo de Plasmas Densos Magnetizados; Argentina
Fil: Forcato, Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; Argentina
description The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted global mental health, with younger adults showing higher levels of anxiety and depression than older adults. Given the strong association between emotional states, sleep quality, and memory, the pandemic provided a unique context to investigate how stress influences episodic memory across age groups. We hypothesized that the typical memory advantage of younger adults would be diminished, or even reversed, relative to the performance of older adults on different memory tasks. A total of 159 participants from Buenos Aires were recruited and divided into independent samples. Younger adults during the pandemic (n = 42, M = 16.93, SD = 1.85) and post-pandemic (n = 38, M = 17.31, SD = 1.74), and older adults during the pandemic (n = 41, M = 71.36, SD = 4.84) and post-pandemic (n = 38, M = 65.38, SD = 4.03). In two online sessions, participants completed questionnaires on anxiety, depression, and sleep, watched an aversive video, and performed free recall, facial recognition, and chronological order tasks. Free recall reports were further examined with semantic network measures. Results showed that younger adults reported higher anxiety and depression than older adults, with anxiety decreasing only post-pandemic (p < 0.001). During the pandemic, older adults recalled more episodic details than younger adults (p < 0.01); however, contrary to our expectations, post-pandemic the typical pattern was not restored, as younger adults performed at the same level as older adults on this task. Younger adults performed better than older adults in recalling gist details, defined as a predefined set of central elements from the event, post-pandemic (p < 0.01), and consistently showed better facial recognition across both periods (p < 0.05). Semantic networks were more modular in older adults (p < 0.001), while younger adults’ networks became more efficient post-pandemic. These findings suggest that pandemic stress temporarily reversed age-related memory patterns.
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025-10
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/11336/279653
Bonilla, Matías; Flores Kanter, Pablo Ezequiel; Vidal, Vanessa; Jiménez, Zahira A.; León, Candela Sofía; et al.; Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on recognition and testimony memory: differential effects in young and older adults; Frontiers Media; Frontiers in Psychology; 16; 10-2025; 1-15
1664-1078
CONICET Digital
CONICET
url http://hdl.handle.net/11336/279653
identifier_str_mv Bonilla, Matías; Flores Kanter, Pablo Ezequiel; Vidal, Vanessa; Jiménez, Zahira A.; León, Candela Sofía; et al.; Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on recognition and testimony memory: differential effects in young and older adults; Frontiers Media; Frontiers in Psychology; 16; 10-2025; 1-15
1664-1078
CONICET Digital
CONICET
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1557634/full
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1557634
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ar/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ar/
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
application/pdf
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Frontiers Media
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Frontiers Media
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
reponame_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
collection CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname_str Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.name.fl_str_mv CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.mail.fl_str_mv dasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.ar
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