Empirical indices of spatial and executive processes in visuo-spatial working memory

A prominent part in the development of the theory of visuo-spatial working memory has been played by techniques such as the Corsi Blocks task. A study on a wide variety of WM tasks using a patient group, bipolar patients in the euthymic stage, indicates that the group is relatively disadvantaged on the Corsi Blocks task. However, patients are also disadvantaged on tasks involving executive processes while visual task processes are spared. A number of regression analyses clearly indicates that the Corsi task disadvantage can be explained by the executive deficit and suggest that tasks that purportedly index spatial processes may be better considered to be dependent on the executive processes. Implications for the development of visuo-spatial working memory theory are discussed.