Working Memory Impairment in Military Personnel

Working memory (WM) impairment has been known to affect cognitive function and impact the quality of life of affected individuals. Among the most prevalent causes for WM impairment affecting military personnel, TBI and mTBI have been the most pervasive and consistently on the rise worldwide. Hence, current research efforts have been made to investigate relevant brain areas, cortical and subcortical regions, and cognitive functions related to WM impairment in military personnel. The aim of this review is to identify brain areas, cortical and subcortical regions, and cognitive functions related to WM impairment in military personnel from a selection of recent studies in order to inform novel clinical applications, including cognitive rehabilitation methodologies, for the benefit of individuals suffering from WM impairment. Affected brain areas included the VLPFC, DLPFC, VMPFC, OFC, FP, hippocampus, dorsolateral and orbitofrontal striatal circuits, and caudate nucleus. Identified disruptions to cognitive functions included slower reaction times, lower WM performance and accuracy in delayed visual and verbal abilities, and worse neuropsychological performance. Future research should focus on the cross-examination of underexplored WM impairment causes and affected brain areas and cognitive functions.Keywords: military personnel, working memory, impairment, traumatic brain injury, cognitive impairment, prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, caudate nucleus, striatal circuits