Temporal order memory differences in Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia

• Published in: Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology Vol. 32; no. 6; pp. 645 - 654
• Main Authors: Hampstead, Benjamin M., Libon, David J., Moelter, Stephen T., Swirsky-Sacchetti, Thomas, Scheffer, Ludo, Platek, Steven M., Chute, Douglas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hove Taylor & Francis Group 01.07.2010; Psychology Press
• Subjects: Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alzheimer Disease - complications; Attention - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Dementia, Vascular - complications; Disease Progression; Female; Geriatrics; Humans; Leukoaraiosis; Male; Medical sciences; Memory Disorders - diagnosis; Memory Disorders - etiology; Mild cognitive impairment; Neurology; Neuropsychological Tests; Organic mental disorders. Neuropsychology; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Recognition (Psychology) - physiology; Sequential memory; Serial Learning - physiology; Severity of Illness Index; Small vessel ischemic disease; Statistics, Nonparametric; Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system; Working memory; Human; Small vessel ischemic disease; Nervous system diseases; Vascular dementia; Cognitive disorder; Alzheimer disease; Cardiovascular disease; Cognition; Cerebral disorder; Vascular disease; Ischemia; Sequential memory; Central nervous system disease; Degenerative disease; mild cognitive impairment; Leucoaraïosis; Working memory; Elderly; Leukoaraiosis; Cerebrovascular disease
• ISSN: 1380-3395; 1744-411X
• DOI: 10.1080/13803390903418918

Determining the order of events is essential for accurate memory recollection: an ability previously linked to both frontal and medial temporal functioning. Frontal-subcortical and medial temporal dysfunction typify vascular dementia (VaD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), respectively. Therefore, we assessed patients' ordering abilities using a novel sequencing task that progressively increased memory load. VaD patients made more errors and selected more previously encountered stimuli than did AD. Curve analysis revealed a general decline in ordering for VaD whereas error production in AD is more dependent on memory load. These findings generally support the role of frontal-subcortical functioning in temporal order memory.