Toggle Main Menu Toggle Search

Open Access padlockePrints

Working, Declarative and Procedural Memory in Specific Language Impairment

Lookup NU author(s): Debra Page

Downloads

Full text for this publication is not currently held within this repository. Alternative links are provided below where available.


Abstract

According to the Procedural Deficit Hypothesis (PDH), abnormalities of brain structures underlying procedural memory largely explain the language deficits in children with specific language impairment (SLI). These abnormalities are posited to result in core deficits of procedural memory, which in turn explain the grammar problems in the disorder. The abnormalities are also likely to lead to problems with other, non-procedural, functions, such as working memory, that rely at least partly on the affected brain structures. In contrast, declarative memory is expected to remain largely intact, and should play an important compensatory role for grammar. These claims were tested by examining measures of working, declarative and procedural memory in 51 children with SLI and 51 matched typically-developing (TD) children (mean age 10). Working memory was assessed with the Working Memory Test Battery for Children, declarative memory with the Children’s Memory Scale, and procedural memory with a visuo-spatial Serial Reaction Time task. As compared to the TD children, the children with SLI were impaired at procedural memory, even when holding working memory constant. In contrast, they were spared at declarative memory for visual information, and at declarative memory in the verbal domain after controlling for working memory and language. Visuo-spatial short-term memory was intact, whereas verbal working memory was impaired, even when language deficits were held constant. Correlation analyses showed neither visuo-spatial nor verbal working memory was associated with either lexical or grammatical abilities in either the SLI or TD children. Declarative memory correlated with lexical abilities in both groups of children. Finally, grammatical abilities were associated with procedural memory in the TD children, but with declarative memory in the children with SLI. These findings replicate and extend previous studies of working, declarative and procedural memory in SLI. Overall, we suggest that the evidence largely supports the predictions of the PDH.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Lum JAG, Conti-Ramsden G, Page DK, Ullman MT

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Cortex

Year: 2012

Volume: 48

Issue: 9

Pages: 1138-1154

Print publication date: 12/06/2011

ISSN (print): 0021-9630

ISSN (electronic): 1469-7610

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2011.06.001

DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2011.06.001


Altmetrics

Altmetrics provided by Altmetric


Share