Journal

The Japanese journal of neuropsychology

[Vol.17 No.2 contents]
Japanese/English

Full Text of this Article
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ArticleTitle Development of a New Procedural Memory Task and Analysis of the Learning Processes Involved -An Approach for Cognitive Rehabilitation-
Language J
AuthorList Tomoko Akamatsu1), Naoyasu Motomura2), Satoshi Kobori3)
Affiliation 1) Department of Occupational Therapy, Kyoto University College of Medical Technology
2) Department of Health Science, Osaka Kyoiku University
3) Faculty of Science and Technology, Ryukoku University
Publication Japanese Journal of Neuropsychology: 17 (2), 139-146, 2001
Received Feb 25, 2000
Accepted Nov 15, 2000
Abstract We developed a new visuomotor tracking program using a personal computer as a new procedural memory task and examined the effect of learning this task in a patient with amnesia following herpes encephalitis and 40 normal control subjects (NC). All subjects were asked to pursue a moving target on a computer screen using a cursor controlled by a mouse. The subjects performed three trials for each task on three sequential days, and the 7th and 30th days. Five types of target motion were used; task A tested in a horizontal motion with visual guide; task B in a horizontal motion without guide; task C in a irregularly motion; task D in a circular motion with a guide; task E in a circular motion without guide. The results indicated that the amnesic patient and NC subjects showed clear learning effects with tendencies that differed among the tasks. The learning effect in the amnesic patient also showed that these computer tasks can be used to evaluate procedural memory.
Furthermore, we noted the importance of visual guidance and suggested an application to cognitive rehabilitation for amnesic patients.
Keywords procedural memory, perceptual motor skill, tracking task, cognitive rehabilitation, amnesia

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