Neural correlates of retrieval processing in the prefrontal cortex during recognition and exclusion tasks.

Full Abstract

Event-related fMRI was employed to contrast the neural activity elicited in prefrontal cortex during recognition memory and exclusion tests. The study phases preceding each memory test were identical, involving the presentation of study items (visually presented words) in one of two study contexts. For the recognition test subjects were required to respond positively to all old items regardless of study context, and to respond negatively to new items. For the exclusion task, positive responses were required to old items presented in one of the study contexts only; negative responses were required both to unstudied items and studied items from the alternative context (non-targets). No prefrontal region demonstrated greater activity for new items in the exclusion task. Thus, there was no evidence that retrieval cues were processed differently according to the specificity of the sought-for information. In several regions, most notably bilateral anterior prefrontal cortex, activity was greater for old than for new items regardless of task. Activity in right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was also greater for old than for new items; these effects however were larger in the exclusion task. The findings are consistent with previous reports that activity in anterior prefrontal cortex elicited by recognition retrieval cues is sensitive to retrieval success, and extend these findings to the exclusion task. The findings for the right dorsolateral cortex add further weight to the proposal that this region supports post-retrieval monitoring of retrieved information.Copyright 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd.

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Author information

Author/s: Rugg, Michael D (MD); Henson, Richard N A (RN); Robb, William G K (WG);

Affiliation: Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, UK. m.rugg(-atsign-)ucl.ac.uk

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Neuropsychologia (Neuropsychologia), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2003-; vol 41 (issue 1) : pp 40-52

Dates: Created 2002/11/12; Completed 2003/03/24; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 12427564, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Memory - physiology
Neuropsychological Tests
Prefrontal Cortex - physiology
Reaction Time
Recognition (Psychology) - physiology
Temporal Lobe - physiology
Verbal Learning

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