title: Restoration of conceptual knowledge in a case of semantic dementia.
abstract: Patients with semantic dementia (SD) may undergo successful relearning of object names, but these gains are usually restricted to the trained exemplars, demonstrating poor generalization. We hypothesized that generalization could be improved by restoring an item's semantic network through specific strategies that recruit the remaining personal semantic memories (conceptual enrichment therapies). We describe the case of a patient with SD who showed greater generalization of learning following a conceptual enrichment therapy than when learning items in a word-retrieval therapy. Our results suggest that enhancing an item's semantic network connections may result in improved generalization of learning in SD. A learning mechanism in the presence of compromised hippocampi is also discussed.
authors.affiliation: a Memory Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology , University Hospital Virgen del Rocío , Seville , Spain.
authors.forename: Aida
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suárez-González
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Green Heredia
authors.forename: Sharon A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Savage
authors.forename: Eulogio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gil-Néciga
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: García-Casares
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Franco-Macías
authors.forename: Marcelo L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Berthier
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Caine
mesh_terms: D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003210:Concept Formation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D057180:Frontotemporal Dementia / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005793:Generalization, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests
keywords: cognitive therapy; conceptual enrichment; generalization; semantic dementia