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Prior perceptual processing enhances the effect of emotional arousal on the neural correlates of memory retrieval.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Dew, ITZ; Ritchey, M; LaBar, KS; Cabeza, R
Published in: Neurobiology of learning and memory
July 2014

A fundamental idea in memory research is that items are more likely to be remembered if encoded with a semantic, rather than perceptual, processing strategy. Interestingly, this effect has been shown to reverse for emotionally arousing materials, such that perceptual processing enhances memory for emotional information or events. The current fMRI study investigated the neural mechanisms of this effect by testing how neural activations during emotional memory retrieval are influenced by the prior encoding strategy. Participants incidentally encoded emotional and neutral pictures under instructions to attend to either semantic or perceptual properties of each picture. Recognition memory was tested 2 days later. fMRI analyses yielded three main findings. First, right amygdalar activity associated with emotional memory strength was enhanced by prior perceptual processing. Second, prior perceptual processing of emotional pictures produced a stronger effect on recollection- than familiarity-related activations in the right amygdala and left hippocampus. Finally, prior perceptual processing enhanced amygdalar connectivity with regions strongly associated with retrieval success, including hippocampal/parahippocampal regions, visual cortex, and ventral parietal cortex. Taken together, the results specify how encoding orientations yield alterations in brain systems that retrieve emotional memories.

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Published In

Neurobiology of learning and memory

DOI

EISSN

1095-9564

ISSN

1074-7427

Publication Date

July 2014

Volume

112

Start / End Page

104 / 113

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Semantics
  • Recognition, Psychology
  • Pattern Recognition, Visual
  • Mental Recall
  • Male
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Humans
  • Functional Neuroimaging
  • Female
 

Citation

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MLA
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Dew, I. T. Z., Ritchey, M., LaBar, K. S., & Cabeza, R. (2014). Prior perceptual processing enhances the effect of emotional arousal on the neural correlates of memory retrieval. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 112, 104–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nlm.2013.12.012
Dew, Ilana T. Z., Maureen Ritchey, Kevin S. LaBar, and Roberto Cabeza. “Prior perceptual processing enhances the effect of emotional arousal on the neural correlates of memory retrieval.Neurobiology of Learning and Memory 112 (July 2014): 104–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nlm.2013.12.012.
Dew ITZ, Ritchey M, LaBar KS, Cabeza R. Prior perceptual processing enhances the effect of emotional arousal on the neural correlates of memory retrieval. Neurobiology of learning and memory. 2014 Jul;112:104–13.
Dew, Ilana T. Z., et al. “Prior perceptual processing enhances the effect of emotional arousal on the neural correlates of memory retrieval.Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, vol. 112, July 2014, pp. 104–13. Epmc, doi:10.1016/j.nlm.2013.12.012.
Dew ITZ, Ritchey M, LaBar KS, Cabeza R. Prior perceptual processing enhances the effect of emotional arousal on the neural correlates of memory retrieval. Neurobiology of learning and memory. 2014 Jul;112:104–113.
Journal cover image

Published In

Neurobiology of learning and memory

DOI

EISSN

1095-9564

ISSN

1074-7427

Publication Date

July 2014

Volume

112

Start / End Page

104 / 113

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Semantics
  • Recognition, Psychology
  • Pattern Recognition, Visual
  • Mental Recall
  • Male
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Humans
  • Functional Neuroimaging
  • Female