注意力缺陷障碍成年人的空间工作记忆和策略形的研究毕业论文外文翻译.doc

Spatial working memory and strategy formation in adults diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder 1. Introduction Working memory is defined as a cognitive system that provides temporary storage and manipulation of the information necessary for activities such as reasoning, language comprehension and learning (Baddeley, 1992). This process requires the ability to hold information ‘‘on-line’’ during a brief time until a decision and subsequent response is made (Goldman-Rakic, 1990). It has been postulated that there is a dissociation between basic memorial requirements of tasks and their executive components which control response selection, e.g. the adoption of an overall strategy or plan, or the utilization of specific attentional inhibitory mechanisms. Thus performance is determined by two factors, one related to short-term spatial memory and the other to strategic factors (Robbins, 1996). Several studies have shown that spatial working memory deficits in patients with frontal lobe excisions may be related to the inefficient use of a particular search strategy (Miotto, Bullock, Polkey, Morris, 1996; Owen, Downes, Sahakian, Polkey, Robbins,1990; Owen, Morris, Sahakian, Polkey, Robbins, 1996). This suggests that part of the deficit may arise from executive failure and use of a strategy can reduce the load on memory caused by interference from previous choices. Spatial working memory deficits have been found in studies comparing ADHD and normal children (Karatekin Asarnow, 1998; Gorenstein, Mammato, Sandy, 1989; Shue Douglas,1992). However, most studies have not considered whether deficits in spatial working memory may be accounted for by problems with strategy formation. The importance of strategy has been considered in other neurological or psychiatric disorders. For example, strategy formation impairment has been shown to be linked to spatial working memory impairment patients with frontal excisions (Miotto et al., 1996) but not for