title: Spatial short-term memory in children with nonverbal learning disabilities: impairment in encoding spatial configuration.
abstract: The authors investigated whether impaired spatial short-term memory exhibited by children with nonverbal learning disabilities is due to a problem in the encoding process. Children with or without nonverbal learning disabilities performed a simple spatial test that required them to remember 3, 5, or 7 spatial items presented simultaneously in random positions (i.e., spatial configuration) and to decide if a target item was changed or all items including the target were in the same position. The results showed that, even when the spatial positions in the encoding and probe phases were similar, the mean proportion correct of children with nonverbal learning disabilities was 0.58 while that of children without nonverbal learning disabilities was 0.84. The authors argue with the results that children with nonverbal learning disabilities have difficulty encoding relational information between spatial items, and that this difficulty is responsible for their impaired spatial short-term memory.
authors.affiliation: Tokyo University of Social Welfare, Department of Social Welfare, 2-13-32 Marunouchi, Naka-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 460-0002, Japan. tanarimo@ed.tokyo-fukushi.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tadamasa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Narimoto
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Matsuura
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takezawa
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mitsuhashi
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hiratani
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009949:Orientation; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D011340:Problem Solving; D011594:Psychometrics; D011930:Reaction Time; D013028:Space Perception