COGNITIVE FUNCTION FOLLOWING LONG-TERM SPINAL-CORD INJURY

Although age-related changes in cognition are well documented, little is known about the effect of chronic disability on memory performance. This study investigated age differences between younger and elderly a dults with long-term spinal cord injury, using a Variety of measures o f memory and self-assessments of cognitive abilities. Advanced age was associated with poorer memory performance, but neither level of injur y on the spinal cord (cervical versus thoracolumbar lesions) nor durat ion of the injury predicted memory test scores. The two age groups wer e similar in their self-ratings of many attentional and memory abiliti es, as well as activity and affective level, consistent with good adju stment over long periods of disability.