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Published on: June 12, 2017
The Walking Corsi Test (WalCT): a normative study of topographical working memory in a sample of 4- to 11-year-olds
L Piccardi1, L Palermo, M Leonzi
1a Life, Health and Environmental Science Department , University of L'Aquila , Coppito , Italy.
Insights
This study provides normative data for the Walking Corsi Test (WalCT) in children, revealing that spatial memory develops before topographical memory. Age impacts performance, not sex, with implications for clinical assessment.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Topographical working memory is crucial for environmental navigation and independence.
- The Walking Corsi Test (WalCT) has shown promise in assessing topographical memory deficits in adults.
- Standardized administration procedures are needed for clinical and educational applications of the WalCT.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish normative data for the Walking Corsi Test (WalCT) in typically developing Italian children aged 4-11 years.
- To compare performance on the WalCT with the Corsi Block-Tapping Test (CBT) in children.
- To understand the developmental trajectory of topographical working memory in early childhood.
Main Methods:
- 268 typically developing Italian children (4-11 years) completed the Walking Corsi Test (WalCT) and Corsi Block-Tapping Test (CBT).
- Performance data were analyzed in relation to age and sex.
- Statistical comparisons were made between WalCT and CBT performance across different age groups.
Main Results:
- Age significantly influenced performance on both tests, while sex did not.
- Children consistently achieved a larger span on the Corsi Block-Tapping Test (CBT) compared to the Walking Corsi Test (WalCT).
- From approximately 5.6 years of age, children performed better on the CBT than the WalCT, indicating a developmental lag in topographical memory.
Conclusions:
- Spatial memory, as measured by CBT, appears to develop earlier than topographical memory, assessed by WalCT.
- The ability to process topographical information specifically emerges after 5 years of age, coinciding with increased environmental knowledge and independence.
- The findings support the integration of the Walking Corsi Test (WalCT) into clinical assessments for evaluating topographical memory in children.
Abstract:
We report normative data on topographical working memory collected through the Walking Corsi Test (WalCT; Piccardi et al., 2008 ) for developing a standard administration procedure to be used in clinical and educational practice. A total of 268 typically developing Italian children aged 4-11 years performed both WalCT and Corsi Block-Tapping Test (CBT; Corsi, 1972 ) a well-known visuo-spatial memory test. WalCT has already been validated in adults, demonstrating sensitivity in detecting topographical memory deficits even in individuals who have no other memory impairments. Our results showed that age, but not sex, affected performances. Both girls and boys had a larger span on the CBT than the WalCT. The youngest group did not differ in performing WalCT and CBT, but from 5.6 years of age children performed better on CBT than WalCT, suggesting that memory in reaching space develops before topographical memory. Only after 5 years of age do children learn to process specifically topographical stimuli, suggesting that this happens when their environmental knowledge becomes operational and they increase environmental independence. We also discuss the importance to introduce WalCT in the clinical assessment.
