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Abstract:
Abstract: It has been argued that the hippocampal role in
memory is time limited; during a period of memory consolidation
other brain regions such as the neocortex are said to acquire the
ability to support memory retention and retrieval on their own. The
alternative view is that retention and retrieval of memory for
autobiographical episodes depends on the hippocampal complex
regardless of the age of the memory. We tested these opposing views
in an fMRI study in which participants were asked to recollect
autobiographical events that occurred either within the last two
years or more than 25 years ago. We found equivalent levels of
bilateral hippocampal activation in both conditions in all
participants (N=7), lending support to the idea that the
hippocampal complex participates in retention and recovery of even
very old autobiographical memories. In addition, activation in
neocortical regions did not differ as a function of the age of the
memory. (Supported by Arizona Alzheimer's Disease Research Center,
the Flinn Foundation Cognitive Neuroscience Program grant to the
University of Arizona, and NSERC of Canada).
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