title: Verbal declarative memory impairments in specific language impairment are related to working memory deficits.
abstract: This study examined verbal declarative memory functioning in SLI and its relationship to working memory. Encoding, recall, and recognition of verbal information was examined in children with SLI who had below average working memory (SLILow WM), children with SLI who had average working memory (SLIAvg. WM) and, a group of non-language impaired children with average working memory (TDAvg. WM). The SLILow WM group was significantly worse than both the SLIAvg. WM and TDAvg. WM groups at encoding verbal information and at retrieving verbal information following a delay. In contrast, the SLIAvg. WM group showed no verbal declarative memory deficits. The study demonstrates that verbal declarative memory deficits in SLI only occur when verbal working memory is impaired. Thus SLI declarative memory is largely intact and deficits are likely to be related to working memory impairments.
authors: Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Australia. Electronic address: jarrad.lum@deakin.edu.au.
authors: Jarrad A G
authors: JA
authors: Lum
authors: Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University, United States.
authors: Michael T
authors: MT
authors: Ullman
authors: School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Manchester, United Kingdom.
authors: Gina
authors: G
authors: Conti-Ramsden
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D032882:Comprehension; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D012016:Reference Values; D012660:Semantics
keywords: Declarative memory; List learning; Memory; Specific language impairment; Verbal learning; Working memory