Brain Gray Matter Volumes and Age-Related Changes in Visual Episodic Memory: Insights From the Benson Complex Figure Test Publisher Pubmed



Bahri M ; Farrahi H ; Bahri M ; Mahdavinataj H ; Batouli SAH
Source: Behavioural Brain Research Published:2026

Abstract

The visual aspect of episodic memory is essential for the formation of rich narratives of life experiences, but it diminishes as a natural consequence of aging. Thus, pinpointing the brain structures that underlie age-related changes in visual episodic memory will deepen our understanding of how normal aging impacts memory at the neural level. The current study included data from a sample of 252 healthy volunteers from the Iranian brain imaging database (IBID). The participants were aged between 20 and 70 years. The Benson Complex Figure Test (BCFT) was used. Also, structural imaging using a 3 T MRI scanner, was performed, resulting in 85 gray matter volumes. Also, mediation analyses were used to investigate the role of gray matter volumes in the relationship between age and visual episodic memory. The correlation analysis revealed that increasing age was associated with smaller brain volumes in 80 gray matter regions identified and with poorer scores on the copy, recall, and recognition tasks of the Benson Complex Figure Test. Also, visual episodic memory performance on copying and recall tasks showed positive associations with GMV in 3 and 27 particular brain regions. The mediation analysis showed that the GMV in the left medial orbitofrontal, right putamen, and right accumbens areas mediate the age-related differences in recall in the visual episodic memory. Understanding these underlying neural mechanisms can inform the development of targeted diagnostic tools and cognitive interventions aimed at maintaining or enhancing memory function in aging individuals, ultimately improving quality of life. These findings contribute valuable insights to the study of brain aging, memory, and neurodegenerative risk, potentially guiding future research on age-related cognitive decline. © 2026