Annual Research Review: The neurobehavioral development of multiple memory systems – implications for childhood and adolescent psychiatric disorders

Abstract

Extensive evidence indicates that mammalian memory is organized into multiple brains systems, including a “cognitive” memory system that depends upon the hippocampus and a stimulus-response “habit” memory system that depends upon the dorsolateral striatum. Dorsal striatal-dependent habit memory may in part influence the development and expression of some human psychopathologies, particularly those characterized by strong habit-like behavioral features. The present review considers this hypothesis as it pertains to psychopathologies that typically emerge during childhood and adolescence. These disorders include Tourette syndrome, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, and autism spectrum disorders. Human and nonhuman animal research shows that the typical development of memory systems comprises the early maturation of striatal-dependent habit memory and the relatively late maturation of hippocampal-dependent cognitive memory. We speculate that the differing rates of development of these memory systems may in part contribute to the early emergence of habit-like symptoms in childhood and adolescence. In addition, abnormalities in hippocampal and striatal brain regions have been observed consistently in youth with these disorders, suggesting that the aberrant development of memory systems may also contribute to the emergence of habit-like symptoms as core pathological features of these illnesses. Considering these disorders within the context of multiple memory systems may help elucidate the pathogenesis of habit-like symptoms in childhood and adolescence, and lead to novel treatments that lessen the habit-like behavioral features of these disorders.

Neural correlates of familial obesity risk and overweight in adolescence

“…This system is activated in tasks involving attention and inhibitory control, such as the Stroop (42, 43), Simon spatial incompatibility (42–44), go/no-go (45), and continuous performance tasks (46). The third is a higher-order sensory/memory system comprising inferior and dorsal parietal cortex, posterior, inferior and middle temporal cortex, cuneus, and hippocampus (47–50). …”

Enhancement of striatum-dependent memory by conditioned fear is mediated by beta-adrenergic receptors in the basolateral amygdala

“…Finally, numerous investigators have suggested that enhancement of the dorsal striatum-dependent memory system might in part underlie the development of some neuropsychiatric disorders, in particular disorders with prominent habit-like behavioral features (White, 1996, Everitt and Robbins, 2005, Schwabe et al., 2011a, Berner and Marsh, 2014, Gillan and Robbins, 2014, Goodman et al., 2014, Goodman and Packard, 2016a, Goodman and Packard, 2016b). For instance, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is partly characterized by intractable avoidance behaviors that occur in response to trauma-related cues, and some investigators suggest that such avoidance symptoms may be a manifestation of enhanced DLS-dependent habit memory following very high levels of emotional arousal (i.e., trauma; Packard, 2009, Schwabe et al., 2010c, Goodman et al., 2012).…”

Is procedural memory enhanced in Tourette syndrome? Evidence from a sequence learning task

“…However, motor impairments alone cannot explain the altered cognition and behavior in TS (Goodman et al, 2014;M. M. Robertson, 2015b).…”

“…Interestingly, alterations of procedural memory have been proposed as one of the neurocognitive underpinnings of tics in TS (Goodman et al, 2014;Kéri et al, 2002; M. M. Robertson, 2015b). Moreover, procedural memory is an ideal avenue to study mental simulations, which play a role in various motor and cognitive processes (Barsalou, 2008).…”