Hippocampal Involvement in Visuo-spatial Cognition: Cushing's Disease as a Model for Hippocampal Dysfunction
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Authors
Brown, Matthew S.
Issue Date
2002
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
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Abstract
The majority of research into the role of the hippocampus has focused on its function in
men1ory. Recent research, however, has indicated possible hippocampal involvement in
forms of visuo-spatial cognition. The present study attempted to elucidate further the
possibility of a hippocampal role in visuo-spatial cognition. Elevated levels of the
glucocorticoid hormone cortisol have been shown to inflict localized damage (measured
by reduction in structure volume) to the hippocampus without confounding diffuse brain
damage. Cushing's disease is a highly complex endocrine disorder is characterized by
chronic elevation of the corticosteroid hormone cortisol. This chronic exposure to
elevated levels of cortisol makes Cushing's disease a good model to study localized
hippocampal damage and dysfunction. For this reason. the present study investigated the
visuo-spatial deficits in 33 patients with Cushing's disease. Visuo-spatial ability was
measured in terms of performance on three neuropsychological measures of visuo-spatial
ability: the Block Design, Picture Arrangement and Picture Completion subsets of the
W AIS-R. The primary intent of the present study was to demonstrate a hippocampal role
in complex visuo-spatial cognition, a cognitive process separate from the already well-established
hippocampal role in memory. It was hypothesized that hippocampal
formation volumes (HFV) as measured by magnetic resonance imaging would correlate
with deficits in the tasks of visuo-spatial ability. Results indicated significant correlations
between HFV and deficits on visuo-spatial tasks, providing further evidence for a
hippocampal role in visuo-spatial cognition.
Description
vi, 55 p.
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