Enhanced brain activity associated with memory access in highly superior autobiographical memory.

ABSTRACT: Brain systems underlying human memory function have been classically investigated studying patients with selective memory impairments. The discovery of rare individuals who have highly superior autobiographical memory (HSAM) provides, instead, an opportunity to investigate the brain systems underlying enhanced memory. Here, we carried out an fMRI investigation of a group of subjects identified as having HSAM. During fMRI scanning, eight subjects with HSAM and 21 control subjects were asked to retrieve autobiographical memories (AMs) as well as non-AMs (e.g., examples of animals). Subjects were instructed to signal the "access" to an AM by a key press and to continue "reliving" it immediately after. Compared with controls, individuals with HSAM provided a richer AM recollection and were fas

SUBMITTER: Santangelo V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6064994 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature