Temporal order memory differences in Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.
Determining the order of events is essential for accurate memory recollection: an ability previously linked to both frontal and medial temporal functioning. Frontal-subcortical and medial temporal dysfunction typify vascular dementia (VaD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), respectively. Therefore, we assessed patients' ordering abilities using a novel sequencing task that progressively increased memory load. VaD patients made more errors and selected more previously encountered stimuli than did AD. Curve analysis revealed a general decline in ordering for VaD whereas error production in AD is more dependent on memory load. These findings generally support the role of frontal-subcortical functioning in temporal order memory.
Hampstead
Benjamin M
BM
VA RR&D Center of Excellence, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA 30033, USA. bhampst@emory.edu
Libon
David J
DJ
Moelter
Stephen T
ST
Swirsky-Sacchetti
Thomas
T
Scheffer
Ludo
L
Platek
Steven M
SM
Chute
Douglas
D
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications*; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000150:complications*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology; D012691:Serial Learning / Q000502:physiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric