Verbal memory, in cognitive psychology, is memory of words and other abstractions involving language. A variety of tests is used to gauge verbal memory, including learning lists or pairs of words, or recalling a story after it has been told. Verbal memory deals with memory of spoken information.
Verbal encoding
Verbal encoding is the interpretation of verbal stimuli and appears to be strongly left-lateralized in the medial temporal lobe of the human brain; however, its functional neuroanatomy can vary between individuals.
[A. Jansen, A.; Sehlmeyer, C.; Pfleiderer, B.; Sommer, J.; Konrad, C.; Zwitserlood, P.; Knecht S. "Assessment of Verbal Memory by fMRI: Lateralization and Functional Neuroanatomy". Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery. Volume 111, Issue 1. pp. 57–62.]
Verbal recall
Verbal recall is the recollection of verbal information. Although left-lateralization is typically associated with language, studies suggest that symmetrical bi-lateralization of language in the brain is advantageous to verbal recall.
[Catani*,†,‡,§, Marco; Allin†, Matthew P.G.; Husain¶, Masud; Pugliese*, Lucas; Mesulam‖, Marsel M.; Murray†, Robin M.; Jones**, Derek K. "Symmetries in Human Brain Language Pathways Correlate with Verbal Recall. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.]
See also