Abstract
In this study, we examined working memory performance of stroke patients. A previous study assessing amnesia patients found deficits on an associative working memory task, although standard neuropsychological working memory tests did not detect any deficits. We now examine whether this may be the case for stoke patients as well. The current task contained three conditions: one spatial condition, one object condition and one binding condition in which both object and location had to be remembered. In addition, subsequent long-term memory was assessed. The results indicate that our sample of stroke patients shows a working memory deficit, but only on the single-feature conditions. The binding condition was more difficult than both single-feature conditions, but patients performed equally well as compared to matched healthy controls. No deficits were found on the subsequent long-term memory task. These results suggest that associative working memory may be mediated by structures of the medial temporal lobe.
Highlights
Stroke may affect any area of the brain resulting in a variety of cognitive deficits [1]
We investigate whether an associative working memory task is sensitive in stroke patients as well
The probe is a black dot at a specific location and in the case of the binding condition it is an object at a specific location
Summary
Stroke may affect any area of the brain resulting in a variety of cognitive deficits [1]. Identifying the profile of cognitive deficits is relevant for rehabilitation purposes for individual patients. Standard neuropsychological tests are used to determine working-memory deficits in patients. Span-like tasks such as digit span or Corsi block tapping task are used. These working memory tests do not involve an associative (or binding) component. This is relevant because deficits on an associative working-memory task were found in amnesia patients who showed no deficits on the WAIS-III digit span [2]. We investigate whether an associative working memory task is sensitive in stroke patients as well. Vestigate the role of long-term encoding in relation to working memory
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