FMRI correlates of autobiographical memory: Comparing silent retrieval with narrated retrieval.

FMRI studies of autobiographical memory (AM) retrieval typically ask subjects to retrieve memories silently to avoid speech-related motion artifacts. Recently, some fMRI studies have started to use overt (spoken) retrieval to probe moment-to-moment retrieved content. However, the extent to which the overt retrieval method alters fMRI activations during retrieval is unknown. Here we examined this question by eliciting unrehearsed AMs during fMRI scanning either overtly or silently, in the same subjects, in different runs. Differences between retrieval modality (silent vs. narrated) included greater activation for silent retrieval in the anterior hippocampus, left angular gyrus, PCC, and superior PFC, and greater activation for narrated retrieval in speech production regions, posterior hippocampus, and the DLPFC. To probe temporal dynamics, we divided each retrieval period into an initial search phase and a later elaboration phase. The activations during the search and elaboration phases were broadly similar regardless of modality, and these activations were in line with previous fMRI studies of AM temporal dynamics employing silent retrieval. For both retrieval modalities, search activated the hippocampus, mPFC, ACC, and PCC, and elaboration activated the left DLPFC and middle temporal gyri. To examine content-specific reactivation during retrieval, the timecourse of narrated memory content was transcribed and modeled. We observed dynamic activation associated with object content in the lateral occipital complex, and activation associated with scene content in the retrosplenial cortex. The current findings show that both silent and narrated AMs activate a broadly similar memory network, with some key differences, and add to current knowledge regarding the content-specific dynamics of AM retrieval. However, these observed differences between retrieval modality suggest that studies using overt retrieval should carefully consider this method's possible effects on cognitive and neural processing.

One-month test-retest reliability of the ImPACT test battery.

In order to better understand the test-retest reliability of the ImPACT test battery, 25 undergraduate students completed two ImPACT tests across a time frame of 4 weeks between assessments. Participants had not previously completed ImPACT and had no history of concussion. Pearson's correlation coefficients (r) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were as follows: Verbal Memory = .66/.79 (r/ICC), Visual Memory = .43/.60, Visual Motor Speed = .78/.88, Reaction Time = .63/.77, and Total Symptoms = .75/.81. Dependent sample t-tests revealed significant improvement on only Visual Motor Speed composite scores. Reliable Change Indices showed a significant number of participants fell outside 80% and 95% confidence intervals for only Visual Motor Speed scores (but no other indices), whereas all scores were within 80% and 95% confidence intervals using regression-based measures. Results suggest that repeated exposure to the ImPACT test may result in significant improvements in the physical mechanics of how college students interact with the test (e.g., performance on Visual Motor Speed), but repeated exposure across 1 month does not result in practice effects in memory performance or reaction time.