Verbal Paired Associates Learning Task (VPAL)

Background

The Verbal Paired Associates Learning Task (V-PALT) measures verbal episodic memory, associative learning, and long-term retrieval capacity. Specifically, the V-PALT evaluates the brain's ability to bind two completely different verbal concepts together.

The V-PALT presents a list of word pairs one-by-one during the memory encoding phase. During the retrieval phase, only one word of the word pair is presented (like a 'cue'), and participants are asked to retrieve its partner.

The V-PALT is a foundational subtest found in widely used clinical cognitive batteries, most notably the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS). The Millisecond V-PALT is based on the published procedure by Indrani Thiruselvam and colleagues from 2015.

Task Procedure

Participants are presented with list of 14 word pairs, one word pair at a time, on the computer screen. The word pairs are presented sequentially, with the left word ('wordA') being presented for 1s, followed by its partner ('wordB') for 1s. A blank screen of 2 seconds is presented in between each word pair. Once the list has finished, the immediate recall phase starts: the first word of each word pair is presented for 1 second (analog to encoding phase), followed by a textbox. Participants are asked to enter the missing second word of the word pair into the box. Feedback is provided during the immediate recall trials. The list learning/recall task is repeated 3 more times before a break (15 minutes). After the break, participants work through an optional delayed free recall test (no feedback provided) and a recognition task. The recognition task consists of 28 words that are presented one-by-one, and participants have to decide whether the word was part of the original list (if so, press Y) or not (if so, press N). Half of the words are list words; half are distractors. Note, the word pairs provided by the Millisecond V-PALT currently run only unrelated items. However, the procedure could easily be adapted to test semantically related (e.g. tulip-vase) vs. unrelated (e.g. train-closet) word pairs.

What it Measures

The Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT) is a measure of processing speed and working memory.

Psychological Domains

• Episodic Memory: Ability to encode and recall a specific event in time and space
• Working Verbal Memory: Ability to temporarily store, manipulate, and manage language-based information
• Associative Binding: Memory sub-process that links two unrelated pieces of information into a unified mental representation
• Selective and Sustained Attention: Ability to maintain focus during the encoding (reveal) phase

Main Performance Metrics

• Immediate Recall Performance: Mean number of correctly recalled words (wordB); main measure of working memory capacity
• Delayed Free Recall Performance: Mean number of correctly recalled words from the list (either wordA or wordB); measure for memory retention
• Recognition Scores: Signal detection measures for recognition scores; measure for memory retrieval efficiency

Psychiatric Conditions

Performance on the SPALT tends to be impaired in patients with the following psychiatric conditions:

• Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)
• Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)
• Schizophrenia
• Korsakoff's Syndrome

References

Search Google Scholar for peer-reviewed, published research using the Inquisit Verbal Paired Associates Learning Task (VPAL).

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Thiruselvam, I., Vogt, E.M, & James B. Hoelzle, J.B. (2015). The Interchangeability of CVLT-II and WMS-IV Verbal Paired Associates Scores: A Slightly Different Story. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 30, 248–255.