Brain dynamics associated with recollective experiences of emotional events

Neuroreport. 2010 Aug 23;21(12):827-31. doi: 10.1097/WNR.0b013e32833d180a.

Abstract

In this study, we used high-density event-related potentials to investigate the brain dynamics underlying the recollective experience for emotional and neutral pictures. Using the remember/know procedure, 12 male participants introspectively indicated whether their recognition was based on conscious recollection (remembered) or familiarity (known). The results show a higher rate of remember responses for emotional relative to neutral pictures, despite an equivalent memory accuracy. In the event-related potentials, the subjective recollective experience for emotional pictures relative to neutral pictures was accompanied by an enhanced old/new effect (500-800 ms) over parietal scalp locations. The results provide electrocortical evidence for a contribution of the parietal old/new effect to the enhanced vividness of individuals' emotional memories and indicate that emotions enhance the subjective belief of recognizing memories.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Affect / physiology
  • Brain / anatomy & histology
  • Brain / physiology*
  • Brain Mapping / methods
  • Electroencephalography / methods
  • Emotions / physiology*
  • Evoked Potentials / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Memory / physiology*
  • Parietal Lobe / anatomy & histology
  • Parietal Lobe / physiology
  • Pattern Recognition, Visual / physiology*
  • Photic Stimulation / methods
  • Reaction Time / physiology
  • Young Adult