Visual recognition memory in normal adults and patients with unilateral vascular lesions

• Published in: Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology Vol. 12; no. 6; p. 857
• Main Authors: Trahan, D E, Larrabee, G J, Quintana, J W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.12.1990
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Brain Damage, Chronic - diagnosis; Brain Damage, Chronic - physiopathology; Brain Damage, Chronic - psychology; Cerebral Cortex - physiopathology; Cerebrovascular Disorders - diagnosis; Cerebrovascular Disorders - physiopathology; Cerebrovascular Disorders - psychology; Dominance, Cerebral - physiology; Female; Humans; Male; Mental Recall - physiology; Middle Aged; Neuropsychological Tests - methods; Neuropsychological Tests - statistics & numerical data; Pattern Recognition, Visual - physiology; Psychometrics; Reference Values; Retention (Psychology) - physiology
• ISSN: 1380-3395
• DOI: 10.1080/01688639008401027

Visual recognition memory was examined in 310 normal adults (age range 18-91) and 60 patients with unilateral vascular lesions (30 right, 30 left) using the Continuous Visual Memory Test (CVMT). Significant age-related differences were found for both acquisition and delayed phases of the CVMT, with older subjects performing lower on all variables. Data from clinical groups revealed that both patients with left-hemisphere (LCVA) and right-hemisphere (RCVA) lesions performed below age-matched controls. However, RCVA patients performed significantly worse than LCVA patients. Data generally supported the double-dissociation hypothesis, with a majority of RCVA patients exhibiting impaired visual memory but preserved verbal memory, and vice versa for LCVA patients. Results also suggested that the CVMT Delayed task was less susceptible to potentially confounding effects of visual-spatial and verbal ability than was the acquisition phase.