Consequently, the person has trouble acquiring new information. However, long-term memory, or previously acquired knowledge, remains relatively intact. Figural and Semantic Memory Memory deficits are often dependent upon the modality through which information is presented. Figural memory is the person's ability to recall information that is typically presented through the visual channel and requires the spatial perception of data. It includes memory of geometric designs, shapes and figures, facial features and directional orientation.
Semantic memory involves the encoding of language information, and is usually presented verbally.
It includes remembering names, a list of words, details with a story and oral directions. Frequently, there may be a differential bias towards the retention of figural versus semantic data, or vice versa. Storage ability is facilitated by certain known structures of the brain including the hippocampus and thalamus. A person with brain injury may also experience difficulty retrieving information from his or her memory storage. Efficiently accessing stored information seems to be a major function of the frontal lobes.