Face learning and memory: The twins test

The clinical utility of current face recognition tests has been questioned. To evaluate if a new paradigm may measure this type of memory more accurat ely, the authors created a novel test to examine face learning (previously uninvestigated) and short- and long-term retention. For this initial invest igation of test sensitivity to hemisphere of dysfunction, patients with sur gical resection from a temporal lobe and healthy subjects were tested. Reco gnition was evaluated on 3 trials: after a single exposure, after 4 exposur es (for learning), and after a 24-hr delay interval. Patients with a right resection performed significantly worse than healthy controls and patients with left resection. There was no difference between patients with a left r esection and controls. Classification of individual patients to side of res ection based on test results showed higher sensitivity (82%) than published for other tests and maintained good specificity (79%).