Lateral parietal contributions to memory impairment in posterior cortical atrophy.
Lateral parietal contributions to memory impairment in posterior cortical atrophy.
Objective
Posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) is a neurodegenerative syndrome characterised by progressive impairment in visuospatial and perceptual function. Recent findings show that memory functioning can also be compromised early in the course of disease. In this study, we investigated the neural basis of memory impairment in PCA, and hypothesised that correlations would be observed with parietal cortex rather than classic medial temporal memory structures.
Methods
Eighteen PCA patients, 15 typical Alzheimer's disease (tAD) patients and 21 healthy controls underwent memory testing with the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) word list and MRI. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to identify regions in the parietal and medial temporal lobes that correlated with memory performance.
Results
Compared with controls, PCA patients were impaired at learning, immediate and delayed recall and recognition of the RAVLT. Learning rate and immediate recall was significantly better in PCA compared to tAD, whereas there was no difference in delayed recall. Recognition memory also was not statistically different between patient groups, but PCA patients made significantly more false positive errors than tAD patients. VBM analysis in the PCA patients revealed a significant correlation between total learning and grey matter density in the right supramarginal gyrus, right angular gyrus and left postcentral gyrus. The left post central gyrus also significantly correlated with immediate and delayed recall and with recognition memory. No correlations were detected in the medial temporal lobe.
Conclusions
The findings provide novel evidence that early verbal memory impairment is frequently observed in PCA, and is associated with damage to lateral parietal structures. The results have implications for the diagnosis and management of PCA.
252-259
Ahmed, S
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Loane, C
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Bartels, S
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Zamboni, G
29115a41-3884-424a-bf11-00d048f22f99
Mackay, C
b7bc8866-cfd1-4e97-8fe4-d9e90c3446bd
Baker, I
a63012f3-73e7-4aad-995f-788e89ca20ab
Husain, M
39a98158-3f8d-4977-84fc-79fad405bc60
Thompson, S
b46d679f-9413-4103-a4b7-edda79e1e638
Hornberger, M
a48c1c63-422a-4c11-9a51-c7be0aa3026d
Butler, C
1bf09f7b-0ff9-4e05-bce0-f4d60920313c
30 July 2018
Ahmed, S
243948a3-4eab-4d8d-9e32-ffbaec9bda4c
Loane, C
f6ab8af3-7b2b-4604-9565-d4d07929426a
Bartels, S
c7c4c2dd-b284-4612-8b7a-7479cdc00cd7
Zamboni, G
29115a41-3884-424a-bf11-00d048f22f99
Mackay, C
b7bc8866-cfd1-4e97-8fe4-d9e90c3446bd
Baker, I
a63012f3-73e7-4aad-995f-788e89ca20ab
Husain, M
39a98158-3f8d-4977-84fc-79fad405bc60
Thompson, S
b46d679f-9413-4103-a4b7-edda79e1e638
Hornberger, M
a48c1c63-422a-4c11-9a51-c7be0aa3026d
Butler, C
1bf09f7b-0ff9-4e05-bce0-f4d60920313c
Ahmed, S, Loane, C, Bartels, S, Zamboni, G, Mackay, C, Baker, I, Husain, M, Thompson, S, Hornberger, M and Butler, C
(2018)
Lateral parietal contributions to memory impairment in posterior cortical atrophy.
NeuroImage: Clinical, .
(doi:10.1016/j.nicl.2018.07.005).
Abstract
Objective
Posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) is a neurodegenerative syndrome characterised by progressive impairment in visuospatial and perceptual function. Recent findings show that memory functioning can also be compromised early in the course of disease. In this study, we investigated the neural basis of memory impairment in PCA, and hypothesised that correlations would be observed with parietal cortex rather than classic medial temporal memory structures.
Methods
Eighteen PCA patients, 15 typical Alzheimer's disease (tAD) patients and 21 healthy controls underwent memory testing with the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) word list and MRI. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to identify regions in the parietal and medial temporal lobes that correlated with memory performance.
Results
Compared with controls, PCA patients were impaired at learning, immediate and delayed recall and recognition of the RAVLT. Learning rate and immediate recall was significantly better in PCA compared to tAD, whereas there was no difference in delayed recall. Recognition memory also was not statistically different between patient groups, but PCA patients made significantly more false positive errors than tAD patients. VBM analysis in the PCA patients revealed a significant correlation between total learning and grey matter density in the right supramarginal gyrus, right angular gyrus and left postcentral gyrus. The left post central gyrus also significantly correlated with immediate and delayed recall and with recognition memory. No correlations were detected in the medial temporal lobe.
Conclusions
The findings provide novel evidence that early verbal memory impairment is frequently observed in PCA, and is associated with damage to lateral parietal structures. The results have implications for the diagnosis and management of PCA.
Text
1-s2.0-S2213158218302171-main (1)
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 3 July 2018
Published date: 30 July 2018
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 505231
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/505231
PURE UUID: b0902b79-e312-43d7-8f23-c8bd3c550d3a
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Date deposited: 02 Oct 2025 16:43
Last modified: 03 Oct 2025 02:18
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Contributors
Author:
S Ahmed
Author:
C Loane
Author:
S Bartels
Author:
G Zamboni
Author:
C Mackay
Author:
I Baker
Author:
M Husain
Author:
S Thompson
Author:
M Hornberger
Author:
C Butler
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