When Does Forgetting Become Accelerated? Operational Normative Benchmark for the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test Across the Adult Lifespan

Introduction: Accelerated Long-Term Forgetting (ALF) is characterized by rapid loss of information over extended delays despite preserved learning and early retention. ALF is increasingly recognized as a neuropsychological marker in preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease. However, its assessment in clinical settings remains limited due to the lack of standardized tools and normative data. Aim: To establish normative benchmarks for one-week forgetting on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) by quantifying retention loss between standard-delay and one-week recall across the adult lifespan. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis (pre-registered on OSF, 10.17605/OSF.IO/W89QZ) were conducted to identify studies assessing ALF in healthy adults using the RAVLT. Standardized mean change ratios (SMCR) quantified pre–post performance decline. Sampling variances assumed a pre–post correlation of r = 0.5, with sensitivity analyses at r = 0.3 and r = 0.7. Effects were pooled using random-effects models. Between-study heterogeneity (τ², I²), prediction intervals, and small-study effects (Egger’s test) were examined. Results: Across 12 studies (n = 1,325 individuals), there was a significant one-week decline (SMCR = −1.26, 95% CI [−1.48, −1.04], p < .001). Results were consistent despite high heterogeneity (I² = 83–89%) and prediction intervals ranging from −1.95 to −0.57. Egger’s test was non-significant. Discussion: Healthy adults generally show a decline in performance over a week, with residual variability across studies possibly due to differences in sample characteristics. Conclusion: The observed decline provides a quantitative benchmark for comparing patient-related forgetting, supporting the clinical use of the RAVLT with extended-delay (one-week) recall and facilitating the identification of ALF in neurological populations.