PRIMING DEFICITS IN PATIENTS WITH DEMENTIA OF THE ALZHEIMER-TYPE

In a study that replicated the procedures used by Salmon et al. (1988) , the effect on stem completion performance of two different semantic orientation tasks has been assessed in patients with Alzheimer's disea se. Previously reported findings of impairment in repetition priming i n Alzheimer patients were confirmed. Performance was not affected by t he nature of the orientation task. No significant correlations were fo und between explicit and implicit memory tests. The results are discus sed in the context of a hypothesized parallel decline in explicit and implicit memory systems.