Assessment of visual working memory using event-related potentials

Objective This study sought to determine if recognition/familiarity memory can be measured using event-related potentials (ERP) in response to a computer-adapted version of a commonly used non-verbal memory assessment instrument. If successful, resulting ERP would further our knowledge of the neurophysiology of recognition memory and could be used in a cognitive assessment battery for individuals whose capacity for verbal and/or non-verbal communication is impaired. Methods Behavioral and ERP responses were recorded during performance on a computer-adapted version of the Continuous Visual Memory Test (CVMT) [Trahan DE, Larrabee GJ. Continuous Visual Memory Test. Lutz, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources; 1988] and examined offline for recognition memory old/new effects. Behavioral performance was also compared with performance on an alternate form of the test under standard administration procedures. Results ERP to old (repeated) visual designs in the CVMT were more positive-going than those to new designs and reflected by both early frontal and late parietal old/new effects as commonly reported in the recognition memory literature. The behavioral results from the computer-adapted and standard administration versions of the CVMT showed a significant correlation. Conclusions The computer-adapted ERP version of the CVMT provides a way to directly assess, using neurophysiological responses, the cognitive processes associated with recognition memory as measured by the CVMT. Significance The results from this study contribute to linking the functional and neurophysiological profile of memory produced by experimental neuroimaging research with traditional clinical neuropsychological assessment