Prospective Memory Impairment and Executive Dysfunction in Prefrontal Lobe Damaged Patients: Is There a Causal Relationship?

Background. The prospective memory (PM) construct is aimed at capturing cognitive operations involved in the successful accomplishment of delayed intentions. It is generally agreed that PM impairment occurs in patients with prefrontal lobes damage. Objective. To evaluate if there is a causal role of...

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Main Authors: Giovanni A. Carlesimo, Margherita di Paola, Lucia Fadda, Carlo Caltagirone, Alberto Costa
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2014-01-01
Series:Behavioural Neurology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/168496
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author Giovanni A. Carlesimo
Margherita di Paola
Lucia Fadda
Carlo Caltagirone
Alberto Costa
author_facet Giovanni A. Carlesimo
Margherita di Paola
Lucia Fadda
Carlo Caltagirone
Alberto Costa
author_sort Giovanni A. Carlesimo
collection DOAJ
description Background. The prospective memory (PM) construct is aimed at capturing cognitive operations involved in the successful accomplishment of delayed intentions. It is generally agreed that PM impairment occurs in patients with prefrontal lobes damage. Objective. To evaluate if there is a causal role of a deficit of executive abilities (failures of planning, set-shifting, selective attention, or working memory) over the PM impairment. Methods. We report a detailed investigation of PM and executive abilities in two patients with posttraumatic damage to prefrontal lobes who complained from a reduced compliance with appointments and daily routines. Results. Laboratory tests confirmed a difficulty in fulfilling delayed intentions in response to the occurrence of critical events and elapsed time. In one patient, PM impairment was associated with poor performance on tests investigating planning, working memory, and mental shifting. The other patient performed in the normal range on all executive tests. Conclusions. Despite the frequent claim of a dependence of PM deficits from executive dysfunction, the reported cases demonstrate that this is not necessarily the case. The results are discussed in the light of current hypotheses relating PM impairment to other deficits that commonly occur as a result of damage to the prefrontal lobes.
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spelling doaj-art-bd5bb521ffb94f1d9b3a4bc2809a1b6f2025-02-03T05:49:46ZengWileyBehavioural Neurology0953-41801875-85842014-01-01201410.1155/2014/168496168496Prospective Memory Impairment and Executive Dysfunction in Prefrontal Lobe Damaged Patients: Is There a Causal Relationship?Giovanni A. Carlesimo0Margherita di Paola1Lucia Fadda2Carlo Caltagirone3Alberto Costa4Clinica Neurologica, Università Tor Vergata, Via Orazio Raimondo 18, 00173 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, ItalyClinica Neurologica, Università Tor Vergata, Via Orazio Raimondo 18, 00173 Rome, ItalyClinica Neurologica, Università Tor Vergata, Via Orazio Raimondo 18, 00173 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, ItalyBackground. The prospective memory (PM) construct is aimed at capturing cognitive operations involved in the successful accomplishment of delayed intentions. It is generally agreed that PM impairment occurs in patients with prefrontal lobes damage. Objective. To evaluate if there is a causal role of a deficit of executive abilities (failures of planning, set-shifting, selective attention, or working memory) over the PM impairment. Methods. We report a detailed investigation of PM and executive abilities in two patients with posttraumatic damage to prefrontal lobes who complained from a reduced compliance with appointments and daily routines. Results. Laboratory tests confirmed a difficulty in fulfilling delayed intentions in response to the occurrence of critical events and elapsed time. In one patient, PM impairment was associated with poor performance on tests investigating planning, working memory, and mental shifting. The other patient performed in the normal range on all executive tests. Conclusions. Despite the frequent claim of a dependence of PM deficits from executive dysfunction, the reported cases demonstrate that this is not necessarily the case. The results are discussed in the light of current hypotheses relating PM impairment to other deficits that commonly occur as a result of damage to the prefrontal lobes.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/168496
spellingShingle Giovanni A. Carlesimo
Margherita di Paola
Lucia Fadda
Carlo Caltagirone
Alberto Costa
Prospective Memory Impairment and Executive Dysfunction in Prefrontal Lobe Damaged Patients: Is There a Causal Relationship?
Behavioural Neurology
title Prospective Memory Impairment and Executive Dysfunction in Prefrontal Lobe Damaged Patients: Is There a Causal Relationship?
title_full Prospective Memory Impairment and Executive Dysfunction in Prefrontal Lobe Damaged Patients: Is There a Causal Relationship?
title_fullStr Prospective Memory Impairment and Executive Dysfunction in Prefrontal Lobe Damaged Patients: Is There a Causal Relationship?
title_full_unstemmed Prospective Memory Impairment and Executive Dysfunction in Prefrontal Lobe Damaged Patients: Is There a Causal Relationship?
title_short Prospective Memory Impairment and Executive Dysfunction in Prefrontal Lobe Damaged Patients: Is There a Causal Relationship?
title_sort prospective memory impairment and executive dysfunction in prefrontal lobe damaged patients is there a causal relationship
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/168496
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