HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Correspondence: Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Correspondence are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Exner, C. Articles by Irle, E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Exner, C. Articles by Irle, E. Related Collections All Cerebrovascular disease/Stroke Memory

Implicit and explicit memory after focal thalamic lesions

From the Department of Psychiatry, University of Göttingen, Germany.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Cornelia Exner, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Gutenbergstr. 18, D-35032 Marburg, Germany; e-mail: exnerc{at}mailer.uni-marburg.de

Background:— Lesions of the thalamus interfere with cognitive functions mainly in the area of declarative learning and memory. Little is known about the role the thalamus plays in implicit learning.

Objective:— To study explicit and implicit learning and memory in subjects with thalamic lesions and to analyze the influence of lesion characteristics on cognitive performance.

Methods:— The authors studied the performance of 15 subjects with focal thalamic infarction or hemorrhage on a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery focusing on tests of explicit memory and learning of a nondeclarative motor skill. Subjects with thalamic lesions were compared to 15 healthy matched control subjects and to a clinical control group of 22 subjects who had sustained basal ganglia lesions.

Results:— Subjects with thalamic lesions showed well-preserved intellectual and executive functions but demonstrated deficits on measures of attention and psychomotor speed, explicit memory, and implicit visuomotor sequence learning. Lesion size in the thalamus was clearly related to subjects’ long-term explicit memory performance. However, few of the neuropsychological deficits found seemed specific to the long-term neuropsychological outcome of focal thalamic infarctions. Subjects with lesions in the basal ganglia demonstrated similar deficits.

Conclusions:— Focal subcortical lesions in the thalamus and the basal ganglia lead to a similar profile of neuropsychological deficits. Lesions in the thalamus not only affect declarative memory but also interfere with nondeclarative motor skill learning.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S Benisty, A A Gouw, R Porcher, S Madureira, K Hernandez, A Poggesi, W M van der Flier, E C W Van Straaten, A Verdelho, J Ferro, et al. Location of lacunar infarcts correlates with cognition in a sample of non-disabled subjects with age-related white-matter changes: the LADIS study J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, May 1, 2009; 80(5): 478 - 483. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Snaphaan and F.-E. de Leeuw Poststroke Memory Function in Nondemented Patients: A Systematic Review on Frequency and Neuroimaging Correlates Stroke, January 1, 2007; 38(1): 198 - 203. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. S. Mitchell and J. C. Dalrymple-Alford Lateral and anterior thalamic lesions impair independent memory systems. Learn. Mem., May 1, 2006; 13(3): 388 - 396. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. J Orrell, F. F Eves, and R. S. Masters Motor Learning of a Dynamic Balancing Task After Stroke: Implicit Implications for Stroke Rehabilitation Physical Therapy, March 1, 2006; 86(3): 369 - 380. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Exner, G. Weniger, and E. Irle Cerebellar lesions in the PICA but not SCA territory impair cognition Neurology, December 14, 2004; 63(11): 2132 - 2135. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J M Schott, S J Crutch, N C Fox, and E K Warrington Development of selective verbal memory impairment secondary to a left thalamic infarct: a longitudinal case study J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, February 1, 2003; 74(2): 255 - 257. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Exner, J. Koschack, and E. Irle The Differential Role of Premotor Frontal Cortex and Basal Ganglia in Motor Sequence Learning: Evidence From Focal Basal Ganglia Lesions Learn. Mem., November 1, 2002; 9(6): 376 - 386. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. G. Mair, J. K. Koch, J. B. Newman, J. R. Howard, and J. A. Burk A Double Dissociation within Striatum between Serial Reaction Time and Radial Maze Delayed Nonmatching Performance in Rats J. Neurosci., August 1, 2002; 22(15): 6756 - 6765. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]