Profiles of patients with left prefrontal and left temporal lobe lesions after cerebrovascular infarcations on California Verbal Learning Test-like indices

We compared memory disorders of three patient groups suffering from brain l esions with a word list corresponding to the California Verbal Learning Tes t (CVLTgcor). Dependent measures were learning rate and efficiency, retenti on, and strategic control of the learning process. Compared to a control gr oup of patients with right hemispheric lesions, a left Arteria cerebri post erior (LACP) group showed general memory deficits, an inflated recency effe ct, and increased serial clustering. A left prefrontal cortex (LPFC) group documented slowed learning and increased recall after semantic cues. Discri minant analysis correctly classified 86.11% of the patients. It is argued t hat (a) the CVLT helps to cover differences in memory disorders recently di scussed in cognitive neuropsychology; (b) differences between PFC and ACP p atients become evident only if strategic aspects of learning and increased recall after semantic cueing are taken into account. The results are discus sed within the framework of recent cognitive neuropsychological findings an d with a distinction between fronto-subcortical and cortical memory disorde rs.