Investigating the Neural Correlates of Autobiographical Memory Open Access
Taha, Sarah (Spring 2020)
Abstract
Autobiographical memory is a form of episodic memory comprised of an individual’s personal experiences. We examined whether autobiographical memory retrieval dynamically recruits content specific brain regions at a second to second time scale. Participants were asked to retrieve unrehearsed autobiographical memories during specified retrieval periods and then to narrate their memories within the scanner. Autobiographical memories were coded for words related to four content categories: spatial-relationship (e.g., on, over), time-referential (e.g., yesterday, 2 days ago), self-referential (e.g., I, me), and other-referential (e.g., Kate, dad). Each content category was contrasted individually against a baseline of all other speech during autobiographical memory retrieval. We observed that content related cortex activated for specific content categories during autobiographical memory retrieval at a second to second time scale. Spatial-relationship words were associated with observed activation of the left basal ganglia, the left supramarginal gyrus, and the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Time-referential words were associated with observed activation of the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex. Self-referential words were associated with observed activation of the left insula, the medial prefrontal cortex, and the orbitofrontal cortex. Other-referential words were associated with observed activation of the left temporoparietal junction. These results suggest that autobiographical memory retrieval dynamically recruits cortex associated with specific content processing as corresponding content is reported during autobiographical memory retrieval.
Table of Contents
Introduction....1
Spatial-Relationship....6
Time-Referential....12
Self-Referential....16
Other-Referential....21
Hypotheses....26
Methods....27
Participants....27
Design....27
fMRI Acquisition....28
fMRI Analysis....28
Results....30
Spatial-Relationships....30
Time-Referential....31
Self-Referential....31
Other-Referential....32
Discussion....32
Spatial-Relationship....33
Time-Referential....35
Self-Referential....36
Other-Referential....38
Speech-Related Processes....39
Future Directions....41
Limitations....42
Conclusion....42
Figures and Tables....43
Figure 1....43
Figure 2....44
Table 1....45
Figure 3....47
Table 2....48
Figure 4....50
Table 3....51
Figure 5....53
Table 4....54
References....55
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