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This study examined whether the low performance of 40 AD patients in the Brown-Peterson task could be explained by a pattern of errors that differed from 55 elderly controls. Our quantitative results showed that AD patients had a lower performance level in the three retention intervals than controls but a significant interaction between group and interval was not found, indicating that the rate of forgetfulness was similar in the two groups. In our qualitative analysis, errors were categorised as confusions, perseverations, omissions, and order alterations. Contrary to other studies (Dannenbaum, Parkinson, & Inman, 1988; Kopelman, 1985) where an AD forgetfulness tendency of omissions was observed, our data showed an excess of perseveration (even more than five repetitions), indicating problems in the central executive. This could be interpreted in terms of problems in updating the contents of working memory.

ResumenEn este trabajo revisamos algunas de las principales cuestiones teóricas que se han planteado en torno al constructo de «memoria operativa» (MO) y a su reconocido papel en la cognición. En este sentido, nos centramos particularmente en la investigación sobre las habilidades de comprensión lectora, donde la MO se viene estudiado como posible fuente de diferencias individuales. Concretamente, nos referimos a tres puntos de especial interés: la existencia de diferencias evolutivas en la MO y su influencia en las diferencias en comprensión lectora; la importancia de la doble función de procesamiento y almacenamiento que usualmente se le atribuye y su papel en las habilidades de comprensión; y, finalmente, la especificidad o generalidad de la MO implicada en la comprensión. En relación con estas cuestiones, repasamos la evidencia empírica disponible, haciendo especial referencia a los resultados obtenidos en nuestros estudios evolutivos, en los que utilizamos diversas medidas de comprensión y memoria operativa.Palabras clave: memoria operativa, comprensión lectora, desarrollo cognitivo. AbstractIn this paper, some of the main theoretical issues of the "working memory" construct and its role in cognition are reviewed. We focus on the research on reading comprehension abilities, in which working memory (WM) has been studied as a possible source of individual differences. Particularly, we will refer to three points of special interest: the existence of developmental differences in the WM and its influence on reading comprehension differences; the importance of the double-sided working memory function of processing and storage and its role in comprehension abilities; and finally, the issue of the specificity versus generality of WM involved in comprehension. As far as these matters are concerned, we have analyzed the empirical evidence available, making a special remark on the results obtained in our developmental studies, in which we use several comprehension and working memory measures.

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