ABSTRACT

The presence of a cognitive decline associated with human ageing is now well established (Craik & Salthouse, 1992, 2000). Psychometric studies in the first half of the twentieth century demonstrated empirically that performance is reduced in a variety of cognitive tasks in old age. Since then the number of studies has grown impressively, especially during the 1990s, probably as a consequence of new demographic problems related to the increasing age of the population. Understanding the modifications associated with ageing is not only a theoretical enigma-there is also a real need for both social and medical reasons. Psychological evaluation and assessment have become more and more important in investigating cognitive abilities in old age. The increasing presence of pathological conditions associated with age (such as Alzheimer-type dementia) has also determined the need for precise tools in conjunction with a more refined theoretical background.