contemporary-schmolk Flashcards
schmolk aim
Investigate the effects of specific brain damage on semantic memory using case
studies. Specifically, the relationship between semantic test scores, temporal lobe
damage. Also wanted to look at the uniqueness of HM.
schmolk sample
Six patients with amnesia were compared to 8 normal control participants.
They were matched on age, sex and education. The brain damaged patients were
divided into groups according to their brain damage (MTL damage- medial temporal
lobe) and MTL+ patients (MTL and anterolateral temporal cortex damage)
schmolk method
A lab experiment over 5 sittings
* They conducted 13 tests, 9 were from a semantic test battery using line drawings of
24 animals and 24 objects which could be grouped into smaller categories e.g., water
animals, vehicles etc.
* They were also asked to complete other various tasks such as naming, describing
physical features, the pyramid and palms task and filling in gaps.
* The % correct or incorrect were scored, except on some tests (6,8,9) where their
accuracy was scored 0-4 and the researchers made sure they compared (inter-rater
reliability)
schmolk results
Those with Hippocampus damage (HF) were able to name, point out, and
answer questions about objects they were given with considerable accuracy. (Similar
accuracy to the control group)
* Those with MTL+ performed less well. They also had difficulty thinking of examples
from a category e.g. names of breeds of dog
* MTL+ 50% for living objects and 62% for non-living
* HM- 66.7% for living and 90% for non-living
* HM did the worst (in MTL group) The MTL+ found it most difficult to identify and
recall facts about living objects compared to non-living objects in all tasks.
schmolk conclusion
MTL+ patients had greater difficulty than MTL suggesting that the
anterolateral temporal cortex is responsible for semantic knowledge
