Memory and Paired-Associate Learning of Patients with Unilateral Brain Lesions

Wechsler Memory Scale scores and paired-associate learning performance were compared in matched samples of Ss with right- and left-hemisphere brain lesions secondary to penetrating missile wounds and normal controls. Wechsler Memory Quotient, easy paired-associate learning scores, and difficult paired-associate learning scores for left-hemisphere Ss were significantly lower than those for normal controls; while the mean scores for right-hemisphere and normal control Ss did not differ significantly. For the latter Ss the Wechsler Memory Quotient and the difficult paired-associate learning task differed significantly with lower mean scores for left-hemisphere Ss. Significant relationships were obtained between Wechsler Memory Quotient and all paired-associate learning scores and between WAIS IQ and Wechsler Memory Quotient, total and easy paired-associate learning scores.