Memory disturbances in local brain lesions

• Published in: Neuropsychologia 1971-12, Vol.9 (4), p.367-375
• Main Author: Luria, A.R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Alcohol Amnestic Disorder - complications; Alcohol Amnestic Disorder - physiopathology; Amnesia - etiology; Aphasia; Brain Damage, Chronic - complications; Brain Injuries - complications; Brain Neoplasms - complications; Cerebrovascular Disorders - complications; Female; Frontal Lobe - physiology; Humans; Male; Memory Disorders - etiology; Memory, Short-Term
• ISSN: 0028-3932; 1873-3514
• DOI: 10.1016/0028-3932(71)90001-7

Neuropsychological study of memory disturbances associated with local brain lesions has shown that such disturbances seldom result from simple trace decay. In general, they are due to interference effects resulting from activity interpolated between presentation and retrieval. This is well shown by simple experiments in which retrieval of a short series of words, designs or actions is required with or without interpolated activity. Interference effects are found to be particularly marked if the interpolated material or activity closely resembles the original material or activity (“homogenous” interference). Memory disturbances of this kind, which may vary greatly in severity, are seen particularly in deep-seated lesions involving the medial portions of the hemispheres and the upper brain stem. They are quite general in nature and may or may not be associated with a confusional state, depending on whether or not the frontal lobes and upper brain stem are involved. Partial (modality specific) disturbances of memory may be associated only with lesions of the convexity of the hemispheres (in particular the left) and are never associated with confusional states or confabulation. In cases of lesions within the speech area, a specific type of verbal memory disorder (amnesic aphasia or misnaming) is not uncommonly observed. A neurodynamic explanation of this disorder is advanced. In cases with massive frontal lobe involvement a defect of memory secondary to defect in programmed actions and a pathological “inertia” of nervous processes (shown in difficulty in shifting attention and in perseveration) is described. It is claimed that careful neuropsychological analysis of memory defects is essential if we are to understand the basic factors upon which they depend and the role of the brain in the memory process. L'étude neuropsychologique des troubles de la mémoire à la suite de lésions cérébrales focales a montré que ces troubles sont rarement le résultat d'un simple affaiblissement des traces. En général, ils sont dûs á des effets d'interférence provenant d'activités intercalées entre la présentation et le rappel; ceci est bien montré par des expériences simples dans lesquelles le rappel de courtes séries de mots, de dessins ou d'actions est demandée avec ou sans activité intercalée. Les effects d'interférence sont particuliérement marqués si l'activité ou le matériel intercalé ressemble étroitement au matériel ou á l'activité originale (interférence “homogéne”). Le