What makes a picture memorable for a long time - an fMRI study using Nencki Affective Picture System.
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1
The Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Laboratory of Brain Imaging (LOBI), Neurobiology Center , Poland
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2
The Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Department of Neurophysiology, Laboratory of Psychophysiology, Poland
Each day we are exposed to hundreds of visual scenes but just a few can be retrieved from memory after a long time. Numerous studies have demonstrated that valence and arousal of various experimental material can influence memory efficacy. Most of the research, however, is based only on strongly arousing and/or highly negative stimuli compared directly to neutral material and does not use the full range of the affective space. In addition, memory tests in neuroimaging experiments are usually conducted after hours or days rarely weeks or months.
Here, we investigate on the neuronal and behavioral level the influence of both valence and arousal on long-term memory using visual stimuli taken from the Nencki Affctive Picture System covering entire range of valence and arousal. Seventeen subjects (mainly students) underwent during fMRI scanning an OLD/NEW recognition test containing 340 pictures, half of which they rated on affective scales (deep processing) 6 months before.
Irrespective of valence or arousal the correct recognition rate was significantly higher than the rate of false alarms. Concerning the valence, negative pictures were better remembered than pictures in the middle of valence distribution and positive ones. At the same time, however, they produced more false alarms. Similar effects were found for arousal dimension, the more arousing the pictures were, the better they were remembered and the more false alarms they produced. On the neuronal level we found that the key structures activated during correct recognition were bilateral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), insular cortex and left middle frontal gyrus.
Current results are in line with recent studies on both humans and animals showing that neocortical activations especially the ACC may support maintenance and retrieval of remote memories.
Keywords:
fMRI,
Long-term memory,
Basic emotions,
False alarms,
Nencki Affective Picture System
Conference:
XII International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON-XII), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 27 Jul - 31 Jul, 2014.
Presentation Type:
Poster
Topic:
Memory and Learning
Citation:
Marchewka
A,
Wypych
M,
Moslehi
A,
Si?czuk
M and
Jednoróg
K
(2015). What makes a picture memorable for a long time - an fMRI study using Nencki Affective Picture System..
Conference Abstract:
XII International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON-XII).
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2015.217.00238
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Received:
19 Feb 2015;
Published Online:
24 Apr 2015.
*
Correspondence:
Dr. Artur Marchewka, The Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Laboratory of Brain Imaging (LOBI), Neurobiology Center, Warsaw, Poland, a.marchewka@nencki.edu.pl