Implicit learning in head injured subjects

Abstract

Twenty Closed Head Injured (CHI) and 20 matched controls were administered the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) and a serial reaction time (SRT) task (Nissen and Bullemer, 1987). CHI scores on the CVLT demonstrated significantly impaired explicit recall on all primary scores compared with normal control group scores. Despite this, the CHI group showed preserved learning on the implicit learning SRT task, and this learning was retained over a 20 minute period. Overall reaction times were slower for the CHI group, but they learned at a similar rate to control group subjects. The role of attention is discussed as a possible explanation for the slower performance of the CHI group, and directions for future research are proposed.