Combined Pharmacological and Electrophysiological Dissociation of Familiarity and Recollection

Abstract

Dual-process theories of recognition memory hypothesize separate underlying familiarity and recollection processes, but the necessity of multiple processes is debated. Previous research has suggested that scalp-recorded event-related brain potentials (ERPs) may index the activity of separate familiarity and recollection processes. Other research indicates that the amnestic drug midazolam impairs recollection more than familiarity. Here, we used a convergent pharmacological and electrophysiological approach to manipulate and monitor human brain activity and provide evidence for separate processes. Midazolam selectively influenced the putative ERP-correlate of recollection but not the putative ERP-correlate of familiarity. Under control conditions (saline), subjects' accuracy correlated with the recollection-related but not the familiarity-related ERP component, suggesting that recollection was dominant in driving memory. The opposite pattern was observed under midazolam administration, suggesting that when recollection fails, subjects may leverage familiarity to compensate. Thus, in contrast to perspectives holding that familiarity represents the default process, these results suggest that recollection was dominant until its impairment unveiled the influence of familiarity.

Event-related potential correlates of interference effects on recognition memory

“…Spatiotemporal regions of interest (ROIs) were defined according to previous research for both the FN400 and the parietal old-new effects (Curran, 2000;Curran, DeBuse, Woroch, & Hirshman, 2006). For FN400 old-new effects, ROIs were the left and right anterior, superior channel groups (LAS and RAS, shown in Figure 2); mean amplitude from 300 to 500 msec was computed by averaging the channels within each region for each condition/ participant.…”

Conflict and criterion setting in recognition memory.

“…The FN400 was analyzed in a priori regions of interest (ROI) established in past research (Curran, 2000(Curran, , 2004Curran & Cleary, 2003;Curran, DeBuse, Woroch, & Hirshman, 2006;Curran & Dien, 2003;Curran & Friedman, 2004;Curran, Tanaka, & Weiskopf, 2002).…”

The worth of pictures: Using high density event-related potentials to understand the memorial power of pictures and the dynamics of recognition memory

“…The statistical approach used in the current study for the ERP data was influenced by a number of sources (Budson et al, 2005b;Curran, 2000;Curran et al, 2006;Dien, 1998;Galan, et al, 1997;Greenblatt and Pflieger, 2004;Handy, 2005;Karniski, et al, 1994;Schloerscheidt and Rugg, 2004;Srinivasan, 2005). Traditional ERP analyses of selected time intervals was guided by previous work showing that the N400 old/new effect typically occurs between the 300 and 500 ms time interval over frontal electrode sites, the LPC old/new effect typically occurs between the 500 and 800 ms time interval over parietal electrode sites, and the late frontal effect typically occurs between the 1000 and 1800 ms time interval over frontal electrode sites (Budson et al, 2005b;Curran et al, 2006;Curran, 2000Curran, 2004).…”

“…Traditional ERP analyses of selected time intervals was guided by previous work showing that the N400 old/new effect typically occurs between the 300 and 500 ms time interval over frontal electrode sites, the LPC old/new effect typically occurs between the 500 and 800 ms time interval over parietal electrode sites, and the late frontal effect typically occurs between the 1000 and 1800 ms time interval over frontal electrode sites (Budson et al, 2005b;Curran et al, 2006;Curran, 2000Curran, 2004). …”