Abstract: Objective To investigate the memory characteristics and related factors of patients with mental retardation. Methods 73 patients with mental retardation (patient group) and 73 normal subjects (control group) matched with the patient group were respectively tested with Wechsler Memory Scale-Fourth Edition of Chinese Version (WMS-IV). Results The scores of each subtest and composite scores of WMS-IV were significantly lower in the patient group than in the control group (P<0.01). All the composite scores positively correlated with each other in the patient group (r=0.38-0.90, P<0.01) and in the control group (r=0.31-0.94, P<0.01). Age and education level positively correlated with all the composite scores (except the Visual Working Memory Index) in the patient group (P<0.05). Conclusion The patients with mental retardation present an overall decline in memory, especially in the immediate memory. The memory function in patients is related with their ages and education levels.

Key words: mental retardation, memory, Wechsler Memory Scale-Fourth Edition of Chinese Version