Simple and Associative Recognition Memory in the Hippocampal Region

  1. Craig E.L. Stark1 and
  2. Larry R. Squire2,3
  1. 1Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California 92093, USA; 2Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Diego, California 92161, USA; 3Departments of Psychiatry, Neurosciences, and Psychology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California 92093, USA

Abstract

Although it is well established that the hippocampal region is involved in the formation of declarative memory, the exact nature of its involvement is unclear. One view is that the hippocampal region is involved only in tasks that require the formation or use of associations. According to this view, the hippocampal region is not involved in traditional tests of recognition memory. An alternative view is that the hippocampal region combines and extends the processing carried out by structures in the parahippocampal gyrus and that it is involved in all forms of declarative memory, including recognition memory. Using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we observed hippocampal activity during both traditional and associative recognition memory tasks. Critically, the hippocampal region was no more active in the associative recognition task than in the traditional recognition task.

Footnotes

  • 3 Corresponding author.

  • E-MAIL lsquire{at}ucsd.edu; FAX (858) 552-7457.

  • Article and publication are at http://www.learnmem.org/cgi/doi/10.1101/lm.40701.

    • Received April 24, 2001.
    • Accepted July 10, 2001.
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