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Updated: May 30, 2026
06:35
Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm
Published on: April 28, 2016
Working, declarative and procedural memory in specific language impairment.
Jarrad A G Lum1, Gina Conti-Ramsden, Debra Page
1Deakin University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. jarrad.lum@deakin.edu.au
Summary
Children with specific language impairment (SLI) show deficits in procedural memory, supporting the Procedural Deficit Hypothesis (PDH). However, their declarative memory remains intact, potentially compensating for language challenges.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Linguistics
Background:
- The Procedural Deficit Hypothesis (PDH) posits that brain abnormalities in procedural memory underlie language deficits in specific language impairment (SLI).
- This hypothesis suggests core procedural memory deficits lead to grammar problems and affect other functions like working memory, while declarative memory remains intact and may compensate.
- Previous research has explored memory functions in SLI, but further investigation is needed to fully understand the interplay between procedural, declarative, and working memory in this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the predictions of the Procedural Deficit Hypothesis (PDH) regarding memory functions in children with SLI.
- To examine working, declarative, and procedural memory performance in children with SLI compared to typically developing (TD) children.
- To investigate the correlations between different memory types and lexical/grammatical abilities in both groups.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 51 children with SLI and 51 matched TD children (mean age 10).
- Assessment of procedural memory using a visuo-spatial Serial Reaction Time task.
- Evaluation of working memory with the Working Memory Test Battery for Children and declarative memory with the Children's Memory Scale.
Main Results:
- Children with SLI demonstrated significant impairments in procedural memory, independent of working memory abilities.
- SLI children showed intact declarative memory for visual information and preserved verbal declarative memory after controlling for working memory and language.
- Verbal working memory was impaired in SLI children, even when language deficits were accounted for, while visuo-spatial short-term memory was intact.
Conclusions:
- The findings largely support the Procedural Deficit Hypothesis (PDH) by demonstrating procedural memory deficits in children with SLI.
- Declarative memory appears to play a compensatory role for lexical abilities in SLI, contrasting with procedural memory's role in typically developing children.
- The study highlights distinct patterns of memory functioning in SLI, with procedural and verbal working memory deficits alongside intact declarative memory, offering crucial insights into language development.
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