Dissociation between attentional set shifting and habit learning: a longitudinal case study.
We report a patient (ST) with predominant damage to the right neostriatum, caused by a rare cerebral angiitis. The testing procedure was focused on attentional set shifting (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test; WCST) and habit learning (probabilistic classification learning; PCL). ST showed impairments in the WCST, digit span backward, alphabet span, and PCL procedures, whereas he exhibited spared IQ, short-term verbal memory, object recognition, episodic and semantic memory. After 1 month of steroid therapy, there was a significant improvement in the WCST, digit span backward and alphabet span tests, whereas PCL remained severely impaired. The three control patients with damage to the parietal lobe displayed normal learning rates in PCL. These results suggest that separate frontostriatal mechanisms exist for attentional set shifting and habit learning.
Department of Psychiatry, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary. szkeri@phys.szote.u-szeged.hu
Szabolcs
S
Kéri
Sándor
S
Beniczky
Erika
E
Vörös
Zoltán
Z
Janka
György
G
Benedek
László
L
Vécsei
D000328:Adult; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001480:Basal Ganglia Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D005556:Form Perception / Q000502:physiology; D006184:Habits; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D013060:Speech; D013256:Steroids; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D013256:Steroids