title: Implicit memory for spatial context in depression and schizophrenia.
abstract: Deficits in explicit spatial memory, as well as abnormalities of the hippocampus and neighboring medial temporal structures, have been documented in schizophrenia and depression. Recent evidence relying on the contextual cueing paradigm has shown that integrity of these structures is crucial not only for explicit memory but also for implicit spatial memory. Using this paradigm, the authors show that implicit memory for spatial context is severely impaired in clinically depressed patients but reaches a normal level in schizophrenia patients, although in these patients, acquisition is slower than in controls. By contrast, implicit memory for isolated locations and colors is normal in both schizophrenia and depressed patients. These findings suggest an implicit memory impairment specific to spatial context in depression. The implications for research on the differences between schizophrenia and depression in abnormalities of the hippocampal system and for research on the neural correlates of contextual cueing are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Tel Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. Domi@post.tau.ac.il
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lamy
authors.forename: Anat
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goshen-Kosover
authors.forename: Neta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aviani
authors.forename: Hagai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Harari
authors.forename: Hilik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Levkovitz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D003118:Color Perception / Q000502:physiology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult