Planning and drawing abilities in normal aging

In order to verify the hypothesis that planning decline is responsible for the drawing difficulties in normal aging, two groups of subjects (n = 17, r anging in age from 65 to 78 years, n = 13, from 24 to 40 years) were asked to copy tridimensional superposed figures, tridimensional geometrical nonsu perposed ones, and bidimensional concrete and geometrical figures. The plan ning ability was measured by means of the copying of superposed figures, wh ich requires a front-to-back strategy. Analysis of data indicates that when compared with the performance of young adults, the ability to copy and pla n superposed and nonsuperposed figures is impaired in the old group. Howeve r, the ability to plan did not predict the drawing performances in elderly. Spatial and exploration abilities in aging could be two other factors of v ariation in copying. (C) 1999 Academic Press.