Which aspects of working memory are being measured with the Corsi Block Tapping Test?

Abstract

Impaired spatial working memory is observed in many neurologic and neuropsychiatric conditions. The Corsi Block Tapping Test is a widely used test to asses spatial working memory, nonetheless it is uncertain whether performance on this task reflects spatial working memory capacity or other forms of working memory. The present study tried to gain insight into the cognitive functions that are being measured with the Corsi Block Tapping Test, and test whether there are any differences to be found within performance with increasing age. We conducted an online study where healthy participants (n=80) performed the Corsi Block Tapping Test, a location memory task, a visual n-back task to measure visual working memory and a Digit Span task to measure verbal working memory. Regression analysis were carried out to predict whether performance on the Corsi Block Tapping Test was related to other forms of working memory. Correlations were carried out to estimate the relationships between the various types of working memory and to examine whether there were any effects of age to be found on task performance. Results showed that there was no direct relationship between performance on the Corsi Block Tapping Test and location memory, visual working memory or verbal working memory. This could imply that the Corsi Block Tapping Test measures something different than the other tasks that were included. However more extensive research is needed on a broader and more diverse population. Furthermore, the results evidently presented no age-related change of task performance on all of the administered tasks