biostudies-literatureInman CSHHS | National Institutes of HealthHHS | NIH | National Institute of Mental HealthNCATS NIH HHSNIMH NIH HHSHHS | NIH | National Institute of Neurological Disorders and StrokeNINDS NIH HHS98-103https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC5776809biostudies-literatureUnknown115(1)Emotional events are often remembered better than neutral events, a benefit that many studies have hypothesized to depend on the amygdala's interactions with memory systems. These studies have indicated that the amygdala can modulate memory-consolidation processes in other brain regions such as the hippocampus and perirhinal cortex. Indeed, rodent studies have demonstrated that direct activation of the amygdala can enhance memory consolidation even during nonemotional events. However, the premise that the amygdala causally enhances declarative memory has not been directly tested in humans. Here we tested whether brief electrical stimulation to the amygdala could enhance declarative memory for specific images of neutral objects without eliciting a subjective emotional response. Fourteen epiProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of AmericaDirect electrical stimulation of the amygdala enhances declarative memory in humans.PMC5776809R01 NS088748F30MH095491KL2TR000455R01MH100318UL1 TR002378R01 MH100318KL2 TR000455KL2 TR002381R01NS088748F30 MH095491Gross REKovach CKWillie JTFasano REDrane DLInman CSManns JRBijanki KRHamann SBass DIfalseDirect electrical stimulation of the amygdala enhances declarative memory in humans.Emotional events are often remembered better than neutral events, a benefit that many studies have hypothesized to depend on the amygdala's interactions with memory systems. These studies have indicated that the amygdala can modulate memory-consolidation processes in other brain regions such as the hippocampus and perirhinal cortex. Indeed, rodent studies have demonstrated that direct activation of the amygdala can enhance memory consolidation even during nonemotional events. However, the premise that the amygdala causally enhances declarative memory has not been directly tested in humans. Here we tested whether brief electrical stimulation to the amygdala could enhance declarative memory for specific images of neutral objects without eliciting a subjective emotional response. Fourteen epi2018-01-01T00:00:00Z2018 Jan2025-04-26T21:34:33.627Z2019-03-26T23:44:09ZS-EPMC57768092925505410.1073/pnas.1714058114