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Some research has shown that older adults benefit more from multisensory information than do young adults. However, more recent evidence has shown that the multisensory age benefit varies considerably across tasks. In the current study, older (65 - 80) and young (18 - 30) adults (N = 191) completed a speeded perceptual discrimination task either online or face-to-face to assess task response speed. We examined whether presenting stimuli in multiple sensory modalities (audio-visual) instead of one (audio-only or visual-only) benefits older adults more than young adults. Across all three experiments, a consistent speeding of response was found in the multisensory condition compared to the unisensory conditions for both young and older adults. Furthermore, race model analysis showed a significant multisensory benefit across a broad temporal interval. Critically, there were no significant differences between young and older adults. Taken together, these findings provide strong evidence in favour of a multisensory benefit that does not differ across age groups, contrasting with prior research.

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OBJECTIVES: Age deficits in memory are widespread, this affects individuals at a personal level, and investigating memory has been a key focus in cognitive aging research. Age deficits occur in memory for an episode, where information from the environment is integrated through the senses into an episodic event via associative memory. Associating items in memory has been shown to be particularly difficult for older adults but can often be alleviated by providing support from the external environment. The current investigation explored the potential for increased sensory input (multimodal stimuli) to alleviate age deficits in associative memory. Here, we present compelling evidence, supported by Bayesian analysis, for a null age-by-modality interaction. METHODS: Across three preregistered studies, young and older adults (n = 860) completed associative memory tasks either in single modalities or in multimodal formats. Study 1 used either visual text (unimodal) or video introductions (multimodal) to test memory for name-face associations. Studies 2 and 3 tested memory for paired associates. Study 2 used unimodal visual presentation or cross-modal visual-auditory word pairs in a cued recall paradigm. Study 3 presented word pairs as visual only, auditory only, or audiovisual and tested memory separately for items (individual words) or associations (word pairings). RESULTS: Typical age deficits in associative memory emerged, but these were not alleviated by multimodal presentation. DISCUSSION: The lack of multimodal support for associative memory indicates that perceptual manipulations are less effective than other forms of environmental support at alleviating age deficits in associative memory.

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Studies using simple low-level stimuli show that multisensory stimuli lead to greater improvements in processing speed for older adults than young adults. However, there is insufficient evidence to explain how these benefits influence performance for more complex processes such as judgement and memory tasks. This study examined how presenting stimuli in multiple sensory modalities (audio-visual) instead of one (audio-only or visual-only) may help older adults to improve their memory and cognitive processing compared to young adults. Young and older adults completed lexical decision (real word vs. pseudoword judgement) and word recall tasks, either independently, or in combination (dual-task), with and without perceptual noise. Older adults were better able to remember words when encoding independently. In contrast, young adults were better able to remember words when encoding in combination with lexical decisions. Both young and older adults had better word recall in the audio-visual condition compared with the audio-only condition. The findings indicate significant age differences when dealing with multiple tasks during encoding. Crucially, there is no greater multisensory benefit for older adults compared to young adults in more complex processes, rather multisensory stimuli can be useful in enhancing cognitive performance for both young and older adults.

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INTRODUCTION: Making health-related decisions can be difficult due to the amount and complexity of information available. Audio-visual information may improve memory for health information but whether audio-visual information can enhance health-related decisions has not been explored using quantitative methods. The objective of this systematic review is to understand how effective audio-visual information is for informing health-related decision-making compared with audio-only or visual-only information. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) will be included if they include audio-visual and either audio-only or visual-only information provision and decision-making in a health setting. Studies will be excluded if they are not reported in English. Twelve databases will be searched including: Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed and PsychINFO. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool (V.7) will be used to assess risk of bias in included RCTs. Results will be synthesised primarily using a meta-analysis; where quantitative data are not reported, a narrative synthesis will be used. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: No ethical issues are foreseen. Data will be disseminated via academic publication and conference presentations. Findings may also be published in scientific newsletters and magazines. This review is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021255725.

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In memory tests, recalled information can be distorted by errors in memory and these distortions can be more memorable than the original stimuli to a later learner. This is typically observed over several generations of learners but there is less exploration of the initial distortions from the first generation of learners. In this article, participants studied visual matrix patterns which were either erroneous recall attempts from previous participants or were random patterns. Experiment 1 showed some evidence that material based on previous participants' recall data was more memorable than random material, but this did not replicate in Experiment 2. Of greater interest in the current data were homogeneity in the memory errors made by participants which demonstrated systematic recall biases in a single generation of learners. Unlike studies utilising multiple generations of learners, the currently observed distortions cannot be attributed to survival-of-the-fittest mechanisms where biases are driven by encoding effects.

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This pilot study examined whether posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was associated with increased health costs following severe injury caused by motor vehicle accidents. Three groups of injury survivors were created from a larger sample--PTSD only, no-PTSD-low physical function, and no-PTSD--high physical function-and these groups were compared on health cost outcomes at 12 and 24 months. The presence of PTSD was associated with increased total health costs for both Year 1 and Year 2. However, PTSD, per se, did not independently contribute to total health costs. This study suggests that ongoing physical health problems must be considered in order to accurately assess the unique contribution that PTSD makes to health costs in the physically injured population.

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BACKGROUND: The factors that determine quality of life (QOL) and disability after traumatic injury are poorly understood. This study identified the unique contributions that characteristics about the injury/hospital admission and acute psychological adjustment make in determining 12-month role-related disability and QOL. METHODS: Consecutive admissions (n = 363) to a Level I trauma service were assessed just before discharge and followed up at 12 months. Structural equational modeling was used to examine the relationships between the acute factors and 12-month outcomes. RESULTS: Characteristics of the individual's injuries measured in the acute setting significantly predicted 12-month disability but only indirectly predicted 12-month QOL. An individual's acute psychological response directly predicted both the level of disability and QOL at 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: Both characteristics about an individual's injury and acute psychological responses play important roles in determining later QOL and role-related disability outcomes. Trauma care systems must consider both physical and psychological injury to offer effective and comprehensive healthcare management.

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OBJECTIVE: Accurate information regarding the psychopathological consequences of surviving traumatic injury is of great importance for effective health service design and planning. Regrettably, existing studies vary dramatically in reported prevalence rates of psychopathology within this population. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity following severe injury by adopting a longitudinal design with close attention to optimizing the research methodology. METHOD: Consecutive admissions (N=363) to a level 1 trauma service, excluding those with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury, were assessed at three time periods: just before discharge and 3 and 12 months after their injury. Structured clinical interviews were used to assess anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and substance use disorders. RESULTS: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder were the most frequent diagnoses at both 3 and 12 months, with 10% of participants meeting diagnostic criteria for each disorder at 12 months. Over 20% of the group met criteria for at least one psychiatric diagnosis 12 months after their injury. Comorbidity was common, with the most frequent being PTSD with major depressive disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Psychopathology following injury is a frequent and persistent occurrence. Despite the adoption of a rigorous and potentially conservative methodology, one-fifth of participants met criteria for one or more psychiatric diagnoses 12 months after their injury. These findings have major implications for injury health care providers.

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