Lisa M D Archibald1, Susan E Gathercole. 1. Department of Psychology, Science Laboratories, University of Durham, Durham, United Kingdom. l.m.archibald@durham.ac.uk
Abstract
PURPOSE: Investigations of the cognitive processes underlying specific language impairment (SLI) have implicated deficits in verbal short-term and working memory and in particular the storage and processing of phonological information. This study investigated short-term and working memory for visuospatial material for a group of children with SLI, to test whether the verbal memory impairments already established extend to the visuospatial domain. METHOD: Fifteen children with SLI and control groups of children matched on chronological age and language age completed tests of visuospatial short-term and working memory. RESULTS: The SLI group performed comparably with age-matched control children on all measures and at a higher level than the language-age control group on several measures. CONCLUSIONS: The visuospatial short-term and working memory abilities were at age-appropriate levels in this SLI group. This contrasts markedly with their impairments on tests of verbal short-term and working memory.
PURPOSE: Investigations of the cognitive processes underlying specific language impairment (SLI) have implicated deficits in verbal short-term and working memory and in particular the storage and processing of phonological information. This study investigated short-term and working memory for visuospatial material for a group of children with SLI, to test whether the verbal memory impairments already established extend to the visuospatial domain. METHOD: Fifteen children with SLI and control groups of children matched on chronological age and language age completed tests of visuospatial short-term and working memory. RESULTS: The SLI group performed comparably with age-matched control children on all measures and at a higher level than the language-age control group on several measures. CONCLUSIONS: The visuospatial short-term and working memory abilities were at age-appropriate levels in this SLI group. This contrasts markedly with their impairments on tests of verbal short-term and working memory.
Authors: Lisa S Davidson; Ann E Geers; Sandra Hale; Mitchell M Sommers; Christine Brenner; Brent Spehar Journal: Ear Hear Date: 2019 May/Jun Impact factor: 3.570