There is evidence that the facilitating effects
of stimulus repetition (repetition or identity priming)
are mediated by visuoperceptual functions local to extrastriate
cortex. Semantic or verbal–associative priming, on
the other hand, is believed to be a function of more anterior
brain systems. The present study finds evidence for disrupted
semantic priming with intact repetition priming in a cognitively
impaired HIV+ sample. These results are consistent with
recent brain-imaging evidence for a subcortical and white-matter
locus for HIV associated neuropathology resulting in effects
on subcortical–frontal systems. (JINS, 1999,
5, 434–441.)
