Verbal and Nonverbal Memory in Neurodegenerative and Stroke Aphasia: Evidence From the Turkish Version of the Three Words Three Shapes Test

Abstract

Background: Although language impairment is the most salient feature of cognitive impairment in both primary progressive aphasia (PPA) and stroke aphasia (SA), memory can also be impaired in both patient populations. Objective: To identify distinctive features of verbal and nonverbal memory processing in individuals with PPA and those with SA. Method: We gave individuals with PPA (n = 14), those with SA (n = 8), and healthy controls (HC; n = 13) a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery and the Turkish version of the Three Words Three Shapes Test (3W3S–Turkish). The 3W3S–Turkish Test includes five subtests: Copy, Incidental Recall, Acquisition, Delayed Recall, and Recognition. High-resolution brain scans were performed in a subset of individuals with PPA and those with SA. Lesion distribution was limited to the dorsal language areas in the SA group, whereas peak atrophy areas in the PPA group extended beyond the language network, including the medial temporal lobe, precuneus, and posterior/medial portions of the cingulate cortex. Results: Both the PPA and SA groups showed impairment in incidental recall, and the PPA group showed additional impairment in delayed recall. Greater impairment for verbal stimuli suggestive of material-specific memory impairment was evident in the PPA group’s scores on the Incidental Recall and Delayed Recall subtests. Both aphasia groups retained the acquired information regardless of material type. Conclusion: Although both aphasia groups shared similarities in the involvement of the dorsal prefrontal working memory/attention network, the PPA group showed greater impairment in delayed recall compared with the SA group.