Abstract
Memory deficits are a common and frequently-cited consequence of moderate-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, we know less about how TBI influences relational memory, which allows the binding of the arbitrary elements of experience and the flexible use and recombination of relational representations in novel situations. Relational memory is of special interest for individuals with TBI, given the vulnerability of the hippocampus to injury mechanisms, as well as a growing body of literature establishing the role of relational memory in flexible and goal-directed behavior. In this study, participants with and without a history of moderate-severe TBI completed a continuous relational memory task for face-scene pairings. Participants with TBI exhibited a disruption in relational memory not only when tested after a delay, but also when tested with no experimenter-imposed delay after stimulus presentation. Further, canonical assessments of working and episodic memory did not correspond with performance on the face-scene task, suggesting that this task may tap into relational memory differently and with greater sensitivity than standardized memory assessments. These results highlight the need for rigorous assessment of relational memory in TBI, which is likely to detect deficits that have specific consequences for community reintegration and long-term functional outcomes.
Highlights
Memory deficits are a common consequence of moderate-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and are among the most frequently-identified targets for intervention following injury (Wilson, 1998; Murray et al, 2001; Vakil, 2005; Cicerone et al, 2011)
It is well-established that individuals with TBI have memory impairments, we know less about how TBI affects relational memory
Individuals with TBI performed significantly worse than healthy comparison participants, after a long lag and when test trials were presented with no experimenter-imposed delay
Summary
Memory deficits are a common consequence of moderate-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and are among the most frequently-identified targets for intervention following injury (Wilson, 1998; Murray et al, 2001; Vakil, 2005; Cicerone et al, 2011). Several frequently occurring pathophysiological consequences of TBI (e.g., hypoxia, seizure activity) disproportionately affect the structure and function of the hippocampus, making hippocampal damage one of the most likely consequences of injury (Tate and Bigler, 2000; Vespa et al, 2010; Atkins, 2011; Palacios et al, 2013; Sharp et al, 2014; Irimia and Van Horn, 2015) These hippocampal-dependent declarative memory deficits are of high functional significance, as they can interfere with rehabilitation efforts and community reintegration and independence following TBI (Skidmore, 2015)
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