Prefrontal engagement during source memory retrieval depends on the prior encoding task.

Full Abstract

The prefrontal cortex is strongly engaged by some, but not all, episodic memory tests. Prior work has shown that source recognition tests--those that require memory for conjunctions of studied attributes--yield deficient performance in patients with prefrontal damage and greater prefrontal activity in healthy subjects, as compared to simple recognition tests. Here, we tested the hypothesis that there is no intrinsic relationship between the prefrontal cortex and source memory, but that the prefrontal cortex is engaged by the demand to retrieve weakly encoded relationships. Subjects attempted to remember object/color conjunctions after an encoding task that focused on object identity alone, and an integrative encoding task that encouraged attention to object/color relationships. After the integrative encoding task, the late prefrontal brain electrical activity that typically occurs in source memory tests was eliminated. Earlier brain electrical activity related to successful recognition of the objects was unaffected by the nature of prior encoding.

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Author information

Author/s: Kuo, Trudy Y (TY); Van Petten, Cyma (C);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 58705, USA. trudyk(-atsign-)u.arizona.edu

Grants: AG14792 (Agency:NIA NIH HHS) ; R01 AG014792-07 (Agency:NIA NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

Journal: Journal of cognitive neuroscience (J Cogn Neurosci), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Jul; vol 18 (issue 7) : pp 1133-46

Dates: Created 2006/07/14; Completed 2006/10/10; Revised 2008/11/20;

PMID: 16839287, 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.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult
Female
Functional Laterality - physiology
Humans
Male
Memory - physiology

Memory - physiology
Pattern Recognition, Visual - physiology
Photic Stimulation - methods
Prefrontal Cortex - physiology
Recognition (Psychology) - physiology
Time Factors

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