Nonverbal memory tests revisited: Neuroanatomical correlates and differential influence of biasing cognitive functions

Mock, Nadia; Balzer, Christian; Gutbrod, Klemens; Jäncke, Lutz; Wandel, Jasmin; Bonati, Leo; Trost, Wiebke (2023). Nonverbal memory tests revisited: Neuroanatomical correlates and differential influence of biasing cognitive functions Cortex, 164, pp. 63-76. Elsevier 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.03.012

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The detection of right temporal lobe dysfunction with nonverbal memory tests has remained difficult in the past. Reasons for this might be the potential influence of other biasing cognitive functions such as executive functions or the verbalisability of nonverbal material. The aim of this study was to investigate three classic nonverbal memory tests by identifying their neuroanatomical correlates with lesion-symptom mapping (LSM) and by probing their independence from verbal encoding abilities and executive functions. In a cohort of 119 patients with first-time cerebrovascular accident, memory perfor- mance was assessed in the Nonverbal Learning and Memory Test for Routes (NLMTR), the Rey Complex Figure Test (RCFT), and the Visual Design Learning Test (VDLT). Calculating multivariate LSM, we identified crucial brain structures for these three nonverbal memory tests. Behavioural analyses were performed to assess the impact of executive functions and verbal encoding abilities with regression analyses and likelihood-ratio tests. LSM revealed for the RCFT mainly right-hemispheric frontal, insular, subcortical, and white matter structures and for the NLMTR right-hemispheric temporal (hippocampus), insular, subcortical, and white matter structures. The VDLT did not reach significance in LSM analyses. Behavioural results showed that amongst the three nonverbal memory tests the impact of executive functions was most pronounced for RCFT, and the impact of verbal encoding abilities was most important in VDLT. Likelihood-ratio tests confirmed that only for NLMTR did the goodness of fit not significantly improve by adding executive functions or verbal encoding abilities. These results suggest that amongst the three nonverbal memory tests the NLMTR, as a spatial navigation test, could serve as the most suitable marker of right-hemispheric temporal lobe functioning, with the right hippocampus being involved only in this test.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

School of Engineering and Computer Science > Institut für Optimierung und Datenanalyse IODA
School of Engineering and Computer Science

Name:

Mock, Nadia;
Balzer, Christian;
Gutbrod, Klemens;
Jäncke, Lutz;
Wandel, Jasmin;
Bonati, Leo and
Trost, Wiebke

Subjects:

R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry

ISSN:

00109452

Publisher:

Elsevier

Language:

English

Submitter:

Jasmin Wandel

Date Deposited:

24 May 2023 11:54

Last Modified:

24 May 2023 11:54

Publisher DOI:

10.1016/j.cortex.2023.03.012

Related URLs:

Uncontrolled Keywords:

Nonverbal memory Neuropsychological marker Right temporal lobe Lesion-symptom mapping Clinical neuropsychology

ARBOR DOI:

10.24451/arbor.19243

URI:

https://arbor.bfh.ch/id/eprint/19243

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