Twenty five to fifty percent of heart failure (HF) patients have cognitive dysfunction, including spatial memory dysfunction (e. g. inability to find their way or remember where belongings belong), from cerebral hypoperfusion and hippocampal injury. Spatial memory dysfunction decreases one’s ability to function independently (e.g. navigate to familiar places). Egocentric (relationship between self and object) spatial memory was worse in HF patients compared with healthy adults. However, literature about allocentric (relationship between objects in the environment) spatial memory in HF patients is limited. Specific aims were to: 1) compare allocentric spatial memory of HF patients and healthy adults; 2) determine relationships between allocentric and egocentric measures of spatial memory; and 3) examine the influence of gender, group, perceived cognitive activity, and perceived functional capacity on spatial memory.HF patients (32) and healthy adults (32) were recruited for a comparative design study. During two consecutive days, participants completed a virtual reality measure of spatial memory and learning, and, tests of memory, attention, and executive function. Perceived cognitive activity and functional capacity were measured. Worse, albeit non-significant spatial memory and learning scores were found in HF patients compared with healthy adults. Significant differences were found in spatial memory, using a mean score. Correlations between allocentric (path length, time to target) and egocentric measures (figure copy and figure memory recall, Corsi Block-tapping forward and backward) were non-significant. Gender, group, perceived cognitive activity, perceived functional capacity and age explained 13% of time spent in target quadrant (p = .020) and 4% of heading error (p = .184) during spatial memory testing. Age was the only significant independent predictor.HF patients had worse spatial memory and learning mean scores compared with healthy adults. Allocentric and egocentric measures of spatial memory have distinct properties and this should be considered in study design. Older age was a predictor of spatial memory performance in HF patients and healthy adults. Age is a known predictor but it may be related to an egocentric rather than an allocentric frame of reference. Future studies need to focus on other predictors of allocentric spatial memory.
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Spatial Memory Performance in Chronic Heart Failure.