ABSTRACT
Lesion studies have demonstrated that frequency memory, or memory for the frequency of occurrence, is associated with prefrontal and not temporal lobe lesions. This study examined neural activation during performance on a frequency-memory-judgment task and a recognition-memory task, both using words. Relative to a control task, the authors observed peaks of activation during frequency-memory performance in the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (BA 45) and other areas typically associated with working memory (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, posterior parietal cortex). Recognition performance was associated with activation in the same left ventrolateral prefrontal location as was observed with frequency memory. When comparing activation during frequency memory with activation during recognition memory, the authors found a suppression of activation in the hippocampus bilaterally during frequency memory. This study supports a neuroanatomical distinction between frequency and recognition memory.
Subject(s)
Attention/physiology , Mental Recall/physiology , Parietal Lobe/physiology , Prefrontal Cortex/physiology , Retention, Psychology/physiology , Verbal Learning/physiology , Adult , Brain Mapping , Dominance, Cerebral/physiology , Female , Hippocampus/physiology , Humans , Image Processing, Computer-Assisted , Male , Reference Values , Tomography, Emission-ComputedABSTRACT
The level of satisfaction with telepsychiatry evaluations was determined in a sample of 43 forensic psychiatric patient inmates in a large urban jail. A forensic psychiatrist interviewed 20 patients in person, the other 23 remotely via interactive video. Demographic characteristics, physical health status, and psychiatric symptom severity on the Global Severity Index of the Brief Symptom Inventory were comparable in the two groups. Patient satisfaction with the evaluations was moderately high for patients in both groups, with no significant differences between them.
Subject(s)
Forensic Psychiatry/trends , Interview, Psychological/methods , Patient Satisfaction , Prisons , Remote Consultation/methods , Adult , Diagnosis, Differential , Forensic Psychiatry/methods , Humans , Male , Mental Disorders/diagnosis , Middle Aged , Prisons/statistics & numerical data , Prisons/trends , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Severity of Illness Index , WashingtonABSTRACT
Recent advances in neuroimaging have enabled researchers to establish relatively specific areas of the brain that are involved in working memory. In this positron emission tomography study we examined the pattern of neural activation associated with performance on number-letter sequencing, a purported measure of working memory included in the new Wechsler scales for memory and intelligence. After controlling for basic audition, verbalization, and attention, areas of activation were observed in the orbital frontal lobe, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and posterior parietal cortex. This is highly consistent with reports from the literature on activation patterns associated with working memory. More activation peaks were observed in the right hemisphere, suggesting the participants utilized visualization of the verbal information. Consistent with task conceptualization, this study provides support for number-letter sequencing as a task involving working memory.
