Role of perceptual and organizational factors in amnesics' recall of the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure: A comparison of three amnesic groups

To examine the contribution of visual-perceptual and visual-organizational factors to visual memory in amnesia, Korsakoff, medial temporal, and anteri or communicating artery (ACoA) aneurysm amnesics' copy, organization, and r ecall performance on the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure was assessed. Korsak off patients were matched to medial temporal patients in terms of severity of amnesia, while the ACoA group, which was less severely amnesic, was matc hed to the Korsakoff patients on performance on executive tasks. Results in dicated that while both the ACoA and Korsakoff groups had poorer copy accur acy and organization than controls, only the Korsakoff patients' copy accur acy was worse than the other two amnesic groups. While the Korsakoff patien t's visuoperceptual deficits could partially explain this group's poor perf ormance at immediate recall, the Korsakoff group's comparatively worse perf ormance at delayed recall could not be accounted for by poor copy accuracy, reduced visual organization, or even the combined influence of these two f actors.