Working Memory (WM) is a system of short-term information processing and storage involving the essential cognitive function of everyday life like thought, learning, and communication. WM involves three primary processes: encoding information, actively maintaining this information ââ¬Åon-lineââ¬Â in memory, and finally, using the information to guide behavior. The model of WM most commonly used is the tripartite model of Baddeley and Hitch which consists of three components: central administrator, phonological loop and visuo-spatial sketchpad (a fourth component: episodic buffer was later added to this model in 2000. Medulloblastomas are the most common malignant childhood brain tumors arising in the posterior fossa. As a result of advances in treatment the number of survivors has increased significantly. In this study, children treated for a cerebellar medulloblastoma demonstrated cognitive disorders in working memory, especially the visuospatial component, leading to impairments in school performance. This study aims to describe the cerebellar involvement in specific cognitive deficits observed in these children. Functional MRI has become the main method to study brain function in healthy subjects and patients, especially in cognitive neuroscience. This method allows a better understanding of the neurophysiological bases of behavior in the pediatric population and has many advantages, most importantly being noninvasive. WM is considered as emerging from the interaction of the higher functions of
sensory, attentional and memory components involving their specific brain regions.
Modality Specific Activations in Working Memory in Children with Cerebellar Medullobastoma: A Functional MRI Study
Alexandre Krainik
Last date updated on September, 2024