We evaluated Rey's auditory verbal learning test (AVLT) and Wechsler adult intelligence scale (WAIS) in 29 patients with spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD) younger than 65 years old. They showed a significant impairment in the recall subtest of AVLT. However in the recognition subtest, there was no significant impairment in the recall subtest of AVLT. However in the recognition subtest, there was no significant difference between the patients and the control subjects. The patients with SCD also showed a significant decrement in both VIQ and PIQ. The disturbance of recall memory did not correlate with the disturbance of VIQ. The disturbance of recall memory without that of recognition memory is considered to be a characteristic of subcortical dementia. Therefore we concluded that the patients with SCD may develop subcortical dementia and that the localization of the disturbance of recall memory and that of the disturbance of VIQ might be different.