Galanina N.A., Shipkova K.M. Features of Cognitive Functioning in Mature Age Healthy Normals
Nicole A. Galanina , junior research associate, V. Serbsky National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow, Russia; bld. 3, Malyi Mogiltsevskii Lane, Moscow, Russia; 119002; nicole.galanina@yandex.ru
Karine M. Shipkova , D.Sc. (Psychology), associate professor, leading research associate, V. Serbsky National Medical Research Center of Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow, Russia; bld. 3, Malyi Mogiltsevskii Lane, Moscow, Russia; 119002; associate professor, Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis, Moscow, Russia; bld. 34–14, Kutuzovsky av., Moscow, Russia, 121170; karina.shipkova@gmail.com
Statement of the problem. The onset of cognitive changes in older working-age individuals may be associated with a decline in work productivity and negative emotional changes.
The purpose of the study. To develop corrective programs for this group, a study was conducted to investigate their characteristics in attention, memory, thinking, and speech.
Methods and respondents. A search study was conducted involving 76 participants (26 men and 50 women). The diagnostic toolkit included the following methods: Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), and the Free Association Method. For the Free Association Method, the number of categorical chains, the average length of categorical chains, and the number of categorical pairs were counted. Statistical analysis was performed using licensed IBM Statistics 26.0 software.
Findings. It was found that memory is the most vulnerable among the studied functions, with the following differences identified based on gender and education level: greater preservation of attention and visuoconstructive praxis in men and women, respectively; greater fluency of speech in individuals with a higher level of education.
Discussion. The obtained results are generally consistent with data from previous years. High speech fluency and a greater number of associations in subjects with a higher level of education may be related to a larger vocabulary acquired through education.
Conclusion. The results of the study can be used to develop early correction programs for cognitive impairments. The programs are expected to focus primarily on memory, as it is the most vulnerable area.
Key words: cognitive functions, memory, verbal fluency, attention
For citation: Galanina, N.A., Shipkova, K.M. (2025). Features of Cognitive Functioning in Mature Age Healthy Normals. New Psychological Research, No. 4, 157–174. DOI: 10.51217/npsyresearch_2025_05_04_08
Acknowledgment
This study was supported by the state-funded research program, project 125013001053-1, «Non-Invasive Rehabilitation Methods in Sensory-Enriched Environments for Patients with Cognitive Impairments of Organic and Functional Brain Pathologies/Etiologies (Including Stress-Induced and Affective Disorders)».
Keywords: cognitive functions memory verbal fluency attention
Received: 22nd december 2025
Published: 22nd december 2025