title: Neuropsychological assessment of memory in preschoolers.
abstract: Memory is of fundamental importance for cognitive, social, and educational function, making it a target for neuropsychological assessment. The subject of this review is one particular type of memory, namely, episodic memory of unique events and experiences. Episodic memory allows for rapid, even one-trial learning of new information and retention of it for later retrieval. It depends on a particular neural substrate that undergoes a protracted developmental course. The review features discussion of some of the challenges associated with valid assessment of this specific form of memory in the preschool period, as well as a description and critical evaluation of available standardized measures. It also features description of two new approaches to assessment of episodic memory and their sensitivity to memory-specific deficits in the preschool years and in infancy. The review ends with introduction of the NIH Toolbox Picture Sequence Memory Test, designed as a measure of episodic memory in the preschool years and beyond.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, 36 Eagle Row, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. patricia.bauer@emory.edu
authors.forename: Patricia J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: Jacqueline S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Leventon
authors.forename: Nicole L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Varga
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests