TL;DR: SDAM may provide us with an advantage in age-related memory decline. 

You may have read my previous deep dives into SDAM (linked at the bottom of the post); however, while reading over research tonight for another post on our subreddit, I stumbled across something I had missed.

As I am sure many of you can relate to, I frequently find myself wondering how aging with SDAM may impact my memory over time. Will SDAM inevitably accelerate age-related memory loss? Or will my memory remain within the typical range?

Personally, I’ve spent far too many sleepless nights fretting over this topic - UNTIL TODAY!

As we know, brains with SDAM are rewired to recall information in a process that bypasses retrieval of specific episodic details; instead remembering through a “fact-based, semantic lens.” 

But according to the study, this adapted method of recollection ultimately leaves us less affected by changes in memory-supporting brain systems, especially when applied to age-related cognitive decline. 

In fact, the typical elevation of memory deficits with age were not seen among those with lacking episodic memory (aka SDAM), with many reporting stable or even decreasing levels of age-related episodic memory complaints. This greatly differed from the control group reliant on episodic memory for recollection who showed increases in expected age-related memory issues.

To summarize the data, SDAM has resulted in us having a “functional advantage to aging.” Age-related declines in episodic memory heavily impact those reliant on it to complete daily tasks as they must suddenly adjust to these deficits in their memory performance. However, individuals with SDAM remain relatively unaffected thanks to our lifetime of completing tasks without using episodic processes. 

And in even shorter terms, we can’t miss what we never had. 

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If you haven’t seen my other collections of SDAM data, you can read them here -

Compiling SDAM's Symptoms & Features (Using Published Research)

Documenting SDAM's Symptoms & Features (Using Posts From Our Subreddit)

Link to the study -

Older adults with lower autobiographical memory abilities report less age-related decline in everyday cognitive function