The left prefrontal cortex determines relevance at encoding and governs episodic memory formation.
Cereb Cortex
; 33(3): 612-621, 2023 01 05.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-35253836
ABSTRACT
The role hemispheric lateralization in the prefrontal cortex plays for episodic memory formation in general, and for emotionally valenced information in particular, is debated. In a randomized, double-blind, and sham-controlled design, healthy young participants (n = 254) performed 2 runs of encoding to categorize the perceptual, semantic, or emotionally valenced (positive or negative) features of words followed by a free recall and a recognition task. To resolve competing hypotheses about the contribution of each hemisphere, we modulated left or right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) activity using transcranial direct current stimulation during encoding (1 mA, 20 min). With stimulation of the left DLPFC, but not the right DLPFC, encoding and free recall performance improved particularly for words that were processed semantically. In addition, enhancing left DLPFC activity increased memory formation for positive content while reducing that for negative content. In contrast, promoting right DLPFC activity increased memory formation for negative content. The left DLPFC assesses semantic properties of new memory content at encoding and thus influences how successful new episodic memories are established. Hemispheric laterlization-more active left DLPFC and less active right DLPFC-at the encoding stage shifts the formation of memory traces in favor of positively valenced content.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Córtex Pré-Frontal
/
Memória Episódica
Tipo de estudo:
Clinical_trials
Limite:
Humans
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article