title: The role of cholinergic systems in visuospatial processing and memory.
abstract: Few studies have specifically addressed the cholinergic role in visuospatial memory. In the present study, we employed a randomized double-blind repeated measures design to investigate the effects of scopolamine on Judgement of Line Orientation (JLO) and two distinct visuospatial memory tasks. Complex Figures (CF) is a test of drawn reproduction similar to the Rey complex figure. The Spatial Array Memory Test (SAMT) is a two-dimensional free-recall visuospatial test which minimizes constructive skills and allows sensitive measurement of placement errors. Scopolamine impaired performance on JLO and CF. However, no effects of scopolamine on SAMT were apparent even though the SAMT is sensitive to aging and right temporal-lobe lesions. Selective effects of scopolamine on focused versus distributed attention may account for these differential results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta 30912-3200.
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Meador
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Nichols
authors.forename: O L
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Abney
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: E Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Zamrini
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Loring
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010275:Parasympathetic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010276:Parasympatholytics / Q000494:pharmacology; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D013028:Space Perception / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D010276:Parasympatholytics; D012601:Scopolamine