JNNP

HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER


[Advanced]
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this link to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Add article to my folders
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Turriziani, P
Right arrow Articles by Caltagirone, C
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Turriziani, P
Right arrow Articles by Caltagirone, C
Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 2003;74:61-69
© 2003 BMJ Publishing Group

PAPER

Loss of spatial learning in a patient with topographical disorientation in new environments

P Turriziani1, G A Carlesimo1,2, R Perri1, F Tomaiuolo1, C Caltagirone1,2

1 IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
2 Clinica Neurologica, Università Tor Vergata, Rome

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
G A Carlesimo, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy;
memolab{at}hsantalucia.it

The case is described of a patient who, following cerebral hypoxia, developed severe difficulty in orienting himself in new environments in the context of a mild global amnesic syndrome. Some episodes he related suggested that his main difficulty was remembering the spatial/directional value of landmarks he recognised. A neuroradiological examination documented severe bilateral atrophy of the hippocampi associated with atrophic changes in the cerebral hemispheres, most marked in the dorsal regions. Neuropsychological and experimental evaluation showed a severe deficit of spatial learning with substantially preserved ability to learn verbal and visual-object information. He was also virtually unable to learn a route in a maze task based exclusively on spatial data, but the availability of visual cues substantially improved his learning. Finally, he performed within normal limits on various tests investigating knowledge acquired premorbidly regarding famous buildings, routes in the town he had been living in since childhood, and geography. Topographical disorientation may be subtended by a specific difficulty in storing the spatial/directional value of visual landmarks in novel environments. The hippocampus appears to be involved in the acquisition of new topographical spatial knowledge.

Keywords: topographical disorientation; spatial memory; hippocampus




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 AM J ALZHEIMERS DIS OTHER DEMENHome page
V. Provencher, N. Bier, T. Audet, and L. Gagnon
Errorless-Based Techniques Can Improve Route Finding in Early Alzheimer's Disease: A Case Study
American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias, March 1, 2008; 23(1): 47 - 56.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 NeurologyHome page
M. M. Cherrier, A. M. Matsumoto, J. K. Amory, S. Asthana, W. Bremner, E. R. Peskind, M. A. Raskind, and S. Craft
Testosterone improves spatial memory in men with Alzheimer disease and mild cognitive impairment
Neurology, June 28, 2005; 64(12): 2063 - 2068.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Neurol. Neurosurg. PsychiatryHome page
N A Johnson
Cognitive profiles in Alzheimer's disease
J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, January 1, 2004; 75(1): 4 - 5.
[Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER
Terms and conditions relating to subscriptions purchased online  ¦  Website terms and conditions  ¦  Privacy policy
Copyright © 2003 by the BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.