MEMORY IN ALCOHOLISM--PROCESSES AND BRAIN SYSTEMS

启动是内隐记忆的一种形式，指的是 仅仅处理一个项目就可以促进该项目的后续处理， 一样的东西。 启动效应可能在没有意识的情况下发生 回忆起以前的研究情节，因此， 提示启动和外显记忆是由不同的 记忆系统 来自记忆障碍患者的证据对于 这一假设，因为如果有可能联系的崩溃， 外显记忆和引发对不同大脑区域的损害， 会强化独立记忆系统假说 然而，在这方面， 许多困难与评估启动效应有关， 记忆力受损的实验对象 启动措施可能不太敏感 比外显记忆测量，以及缺乏群体差异， 预充措施可以简单地反映低测量灵敏度。 的 在给定任务中获得的启动程度与加工有关 效率（即基线性能），处理效率较低 导致更大的起动。 因此，如果患者有轻微的 处理缺陷这可能掩盖了启动损伤。 拟议 该项目将在正常受试者和酗酒者中调查这些问题 患者有不同程度的记忆和处理缺陷。 的 该项目包括一系列旨在操纵 基线性能水平和启动措施的敏感性。 在 所有的实验措施的启动，处理效率， 将获得外显记忆。 受试者将是正常对照 和慢性酒精中毒患者，他们的严重程度不同， 外显记忆缺陷，从非健忘症患者没有 “边缘型科萨科夫”患者的明显记忆障碍 只有轻微的记忆缺陷，严重的健忘症患者， 科尔萨科夫综合征。 特定脑容量损失的测量 将从MRI获得结构。 这些大脑测量将是 与行为指数相关，使用多元回归方法， 以确定每个大脑区域在感知/词汇中的具体作用， 加工、外显记忆和启动强度。

Priming is a form of implicit memory, and refers to the fact that the mere processing of an item can facilitate subsequent processing of that same item. Priming effects can occur in the absence of conscious recollection of the prior study episode, and it has, therefore, been suggested that priming and explicit memory are mediated by different memory systems. Evidence from memory disordered patients is critical for this hypothesis, since if it is possible to link the breakdown of explicit memory and priming to damage to different brain regions this would strengthen the independent memory systems hypothesis. However, many difficulties are associated with evaluating priming effects in memory impaired subjects. The priming measures may be less sensitive than explicit memory measures, and the lack of group differences on priming measures may simply reflect low measurement sensitivity. The degree of priming obtained in a given task is related to processing efficiency (i.e. baseline performance), with less efficient processing resulting in greater priming. Therefore, if patients have even mild processing deficits this may mask priming impairments. The proposed project will investigate these issues in normal subjects and alcoholic patients with varying degrees of memory and processing deficits. The project consists of a series of experiments designed to manipulate baseline performance level and sensitivity of the priming measures. In all of the experiments measures of priming, processing efficiency, and explicit memory will be obtained. The subjects will be normal controls and chronic alcoholic patients who differ in the severity of their explicit memory defects, ranging from nonamnesic patients without noticeable memory impairments through "borderline Korsakoff" patients with only mild memory deficits to severely amnesic patients with Korsakoff's syndrome. Measures of volume loss in specific brain structures will be obtained from MRI. These brain measures will be related to the behavioral indices, using a multiple regression approach, to determine the specific role of each brain region in perceptual/lexical processing, explicit memory, and strength of priming.