Abstract
A major controversy in the study of memory concerns whether there are distinct medial temporal lobe (MTL) substrates of recollection and familiarity. Studies using receiver operating characteristics analyses of recognition memory indicate that the hippocampus is essential for recollection, but not for familiarity. We found the converse pattern in the amygdala, wherein damage impaired familiarity while sparing recollection. Combined with previous findings, these results dissociate recollection and familiarity by selective MTL damage.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$209.00 per year
only $17.42 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Eichenbaum, H., Yonelinas, A.P. & Ranganath, C. Annu. Rev. Neurosci. 30, 123–152 (2007).
Squire, L.R., Wixted, J.T. & Clark, R.E. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 8, 872–883 (2007).
Bowles, B. et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104, 16382–16387 (2007).
McGaugh, J.L. Annu. Rev. Neurosci. 27, 1–28 (2004).
LaBar, K.S. & Cabeza, R. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 7, 54–64 (2006).
Pitkänen, A., Pikkarainen, M., Nurminen, N. & Ylinen, A. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 911, 369–391 (2000).
Babiloni, C. et al. Hum. Brain Mapp. 30, 2077–2089 (2009).
Packard, M.G. & Teather, L.A. Neurobiol. Learn. Mem. 69, 163–203 (1998).
Kensinger, E.A. & Schacter, D.L. J. Neurosci. 26, 2564–2570 (2006).
Adolphs, R., Tranel, D. & Buchanan, T.W. Nat. Neurosci. 8, 512–518 (2005).
Sharot, T., Delgado, M.R. & Phelps, E.A. Nat. Neurosci. 7, 1376–1380 (2004).
Zajonc, R.B. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 9, 1–27 (1968).
Bowles, B. et al. Neuropsychologia 48, 2640–2647 (2010).
Fortin, N.J., Wright, S.P. & Eichenbaum, H. Nature 431, 188–191 (2004).
Aggleton, J.P., Blindt, H.S. & Rawlins, J.N.P. Behav. Neurosci. 103, 962–974 (1989).
Acknowledgements
We thank A. Yonelinas and M. Sauvage for their thoughtful comments on data analysis, and National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) for valuable inspiration. This work was supported by National Institute of Mental Health Project Grant MH52090.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
H.E. and A.F. designed the study and wrote the manuscript. A.F. carried out the surgery and analyzed the data. R.J.P., D.R.M. and A.F. performed the experiment, and R.J.P. and A.F. performed the histological analysis.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing financial interests.
Supplementary information
Supplementary Text and Figures
Supplementary Results, Supplementary Methods and Supplementary Figure 1 (PDF 81 kb)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Farovik, A., Place, R., Miller, D. et al. Amygdala lesions selectively impair familiarity in recognition memory. Nat Neurosci 14, 1416–1417 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2919
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2919
This article is cited by
-
The amygdala is not necessary for the familiarity aspect of recognition memory
Nature Communications (2023)
-
Nk3R blockade has sex-divergent effects on memory in mice
Biology of Sex Differences (2022)
-
Lesion of the hippocampus selectively enhances LEC’s activity during recognition memory based on familiarity
Scientific Reports (2021)
-
The effect of sleep deprivation on retrieval of emotional memory: a behavioural study using film stimuli
Experimental Brain Research (2017)
-
Two cortical systems for memory-guided behaviour
Nature Reviews Neuroscience (2012)