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| Research article summary (published 30 Dec 2001): |
Wada testing reveals frontal lateralization for the memorization of words and faces.
Full Abstract
Neuroimaging studies have suggested that specific regions of the frontal and medial temporal cortex are engaged during memory formation. Further, there is specialization across these regions such that verbal materials appear to preferentially engage the left regions while nonverbal materials primarily engage the right regions. An open question, however, has been to what extent frontal regions contribute to successful memory formation. The present study investigates this question using a reversible lesion technique known as the Wada test. Patients memorized words and unfamiliar faces while portions of their left and right hemispheres were temporarily anesthetized with sodium amytal. Subsequent memory tests revealed that faces were remembered better than words following left-hemisphere anesthesia, whereas words were remembered better than faces following right-hemisphere anesthesia. Importantly, inspection of the circulation affected by the amytal further suggests that these memory impairments did not result from direct anesthetization of the medial temporal regions. Taken in the context of the imaging findings, these results suggest that frontal regions may also contribute to memory formation in normal performance.
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Author information
Author/s: Kelley, W M (WM); Ojemann, J G (JG); Wetzel, R D (RD); Derdeyn, C P (CP); Moran, C J (CJ); Cross, D T (DT); Dowling, J L (JL); Miller, J W (JW); Petersen, S E (SE);
Affiliation: Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. william.kelley@dartmouth.edu
Grants: NS02029 (Agency:United States NINDS) ; NS06833 (Agency:United States NINDS) ; NS32979 (Agency:United States NINDS)
Journal and publication information
Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
Journal: Journal of cognitive neuroscience (J Cogn Neurosci), published in United States. (Language: eng)
Reference: 2002-Jan; vol 14 (issue 1) : pp 116-25
Dates: Created 2002/01/18; Completed 2002/03/22; Revised 2007/11/14;
PMID: 11798392, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)
Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.
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