Neural correlates of successful encoding identified using functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Full Abstract

Neural activity that occurs during the creation of a new memory trace can be observed using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Event-related designs have been used to demonstrate that activity in prefrontal and medial temporal lobe areas is associated with successful memory storage. Here we contrasted activity associated with encoding success and encoding effort. Participants viewed a series of 150 words but attempted to remember only half of them. Encoding effort was manipulated using a cue in the form of a letter (R or F) presented after each word to instruct participants either to remember or to forget that word. Increased activity in left inferior prefrontal cortex was observed when words were followed by the cue to remember. In contrast, increased left medial temporal lobe activity was observed for words that were successfully recalled later. These results show that fMRI correlates of the intention to encode a word are different from fMRI correlates of whether that encoding is successful. Prefrontal activation was strongly associated with intentional verbal encoding, whereas left medial temporal activation was crucial for the encoding that actually led to successful memory on the subsequent test.

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Author information

Author/s: Reber, Paul J (PJ); Siwiec, Robert M (RM); Gitelman, Darren R (DR); Parrish, Todd B (TB); Mesulam, M-Marsel (MM); Paller, Ken A (KA); Gitleman, Darren R (DR);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60201, USA. preber(-atsign-)northwestern.edu

Grants: R01-MH58748 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; R01-NS34639 (Agency:NINDS NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Clinical Trial; Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Journal: The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience (J Neurosci), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Nov; vol 22 (issue 21) : pp 9541-8

Dates: Created 2002/11/05; Completed 2002/11/25; Revised 2008/11/21;

PMID: 12417678, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

Comments and Corrections

ErratumIn: J Neurosci. 2003 Jan 1;23(1):1a.. (Note: Gitleman Darren R [corrected to Gitelman Darren R])

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent
Adult
Brain Mapping
Cues
Face
Female
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male

Memory - physiology
Nervous System Physiological Phenomena
Pattern Recognition, Visual - physiology
Photic Stimulation - methods
Prefrontal Cortex - physiology
Recognition (Psychology) - physiology
Reference Values
Temporal Lobe - physiology
Verbal Behavior - physiology

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