The clinical utility of the Warrington Recognition Memory Test in people with a low IQ

Abstract

The sensitivity of the Warrington Recognition Memory for Faces (RMF) to reliably localize temporal lobe dysfunction in surgical epilepsy candidates is not as strong as that of the Recognition Memory for Words (RMW). Previous research has indicated that its diagnostic utility is improved in patients with lower IQs. Data from 114 patients with unilateral hippocampal sclerosis was retrospectively examined to explore the accuracy of both subtests in patients with IQs within the low average/borderline impaired and intellectual disability ranges. In our group, the RMF did not discriminate between right and left hippocampal sclerosis, whilst the RMW did. However, many patients functioning within the intellectual disability range are unable to complete the RMW. There is a need to develop neuropsychological protocols appropriate for this group.

Keywords:

• Intellectual disabilities
• Temporal lobe
• Hippocampus
• Memory
• Epilepsy surgery