THE ROLE OF CHOLINERGIC SYSTEMS IN VISUOSPATIAL PROCESSING AND MEMORY

Few studies have specifically addressed the cholinergic role in visuos patial memory. In the present study, we employed a randomized double-b lind repeated measures design to investigate the effects of scopolamin e on Judgement of Line Orientation (JLO) and two distinct visuospatial memory tasks. Complex Figures (CF) is a test of drawn reproduction si milar to the Rey complex figure. The Spatial Array Memory Test (SAMT) is a two-dimensional free-recall visuospatial test which minimizes con structive skills and allows sensitive measurement of placement errors. Scopolamine impaired performance on JLO and CF. However, no effects o f scopolamine on SAMT were apparent even though the SAMT is sensitive to aging and right temporal-lobe lesions. Selective effects of scopola mine on focused versus distributed attention may account for these dif ferential results.