Neural Correlates of Emotional Memories: A Review of Evidence From Brain Imaging Studies

Dolcos, Florin; Denkova, Ekaterina; Dolcos, Sanda

doi:10.2117/psysoc.2012.80

Cited by 96 publications

(91 citation statements)

References 177 publications

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“…As shown in past studies (e.g., Dolcos & Denkova, 2008;Mather & Sutherland, 2009), participants remembered both positive and negative images equally better than neutral images. Despite the similar memory enhancement effects, presentation of positive and negative pictures had different impacts on subsequent understanding of the solutions to problems requiring insight.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

“…The results of past studies have revealed that both positive and negative stimuli are remembered better than neutral stimuli if they are matched in arousal levels (e.g., Dolcos & Denkova, 2008;Hamann, Ely, Grafton, & Kilts, 1999;Mather & Sutherland, 2009). These findings suggest that arousal is more crucial than valence in the effects of emotion on memory.…”

Section: Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of the brief viewing of emotional stimuli on understanding of insight solutions

Sakaki

Niki

2011

Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci

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In the present study, we examined whether and how brief viewing of positive and negative images influences subsequent understanding of solutions to insight problems. For each trial, participants were first presented with an insight problem and then briefly viewed a taskirrelevant positive, negative, or neutral image (660 ms), which was followed by the solution to the problem. In our behavioral study (Study 1), participants were faster to report that they understood the solutions following positive images, and were slower to report it following negative images. A subsequent fMRI study (Study 2) revealed enhanced activity in the angular gyrus and medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) while viewing solutions following positive, as compared with negative, images. In addition, greater activation of the angular gyrus was associated with more rapid understanding of the solutions. These results suggest that brief viewing of positive images enhances activity in the angular gyrus and MPFC, which results in facilitation of understanding solutions to insight problems.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

Section: Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of the brief viewing of emotional stimuli on understanding of insight solutions

Sakaki

Niki

2011

Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci

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“…Emotional arousal increases activity in the amygdala and hippocampus (Denkova, Dolcos, & Dolcos, 2012; Dolcos, LaBar, & Cabeza, 2004a; Dolcos et al, 2004b). This enhanced activity is suggested to modulate memory consolidation (Dolcos et al, 2004b), resulting in better memory performance for emotionally arousing material relative to neutral (Dolcos, Denkova, & Dolcos, 2012; Dolcos et al, 2004b; Kensinger & Corkin, 2004). These findings add to the body of literature that suggests emotional materials are better remembered than non-emotional materials and that this effect is driven by arousal (Dolcos et al, 2004b; Kensinger & Corkin, 2003, 2004).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of mild acute stress during memory consolidation on emotional recognition memory

Corbett

Weinberg

Duarte

2017

Neurobiology of Learning and Memory

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Stress during consolidation improves recognition memory performance. Generally, this memory benefit is greater for emotionally arousing stimuli than neutral stimuli. The strength of the stressor also plays a role in memory performance, with memory performance improving up to a moderate level of stress and thereafter worsening. As our daily stressors are generally minimal in strength, we chose to induce mild acute stress to determine its effect on memory performance. In the current study, we investigated if mild acute stress during consolidation improves memory performance for emotionally arousing images. To investigate this, we had participants encode highly arousing negative, minimally arousing negative, and neutral images. We induced stress using the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST) in half of the participants and a control task to the other half of the participants directly after encoding (i.e. during consolidation) and tested recognition 48 h later. We found no difference in memory performance between the stress and control group. We found a graded pattern among confidence, with responders in the stress group having the least amount of confidence in their hits and controls having the most. Across groups, we found highly arousing negative images were better remembered than minimally arousing negative or neutral images. Although stress did not affect memory accuracy, responders, as defined by cortisol reactivity, were less confident in their decisions. Our results suggest that the daily stressors humans experience, regardless of their emotional affect, do not have adverse effects on memory.

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“…Looking at both valence and arousal dimensions, Adelman and Estes (2013) have shown that the memory benefit for emotionally valenced words, whether positive or negative, over neutral words may be independent of arousal. The necessity to test the conjoint effect of valence and arousal is further supported by neuroimaging studies, which suggest that arousal and valence influence memory through two distinct neural mechanisms (Dolcos et al, 2004; Kensinger and Corkin, 2004; for a review see Murty et al, 2010; Dolcos et al, 2012). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emotional memory for musical excerpts in young and older adults

Alonso

Dellacherie

Samson

2015

Front. Aging Neurosci.

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The emotions evoked by music can enhance recognition of excerpts. It has been suggested that memory is better for high than for low arousing music (Eschrich et al., 2005; Samson et al., 2009), but it remains unclear whether positively (Eschrich et al., 2008) or negatively valenced music (Aubé et al., 2013; Vieillard and Gilet, 2013) may be better recognized. Moreover, we still know very little about the influence of age on emotional memory for music. To address these issues, we tested emotional memory for music in young and older adults using musical excerpts varying in terms of arousal and valence. Participants completed immediate and 24 h delayed recognition tests. We predicted highly arousing excerpts to be better recognized by both groups in immediate recognition. We hypothesized that arousal may compensate consolidation deficits in aging, thus showing more prominent benefit of high over low arousing stimuli in older than younger adults on delayed recognition. We also hypothesized worst retention of negative excerpts for the older group, resulting in a recognition benefit for positive over negative excerpts specific to older adults. Our results suggest that although older adults had worse recognition than young adults overall, effects of emotion on memory do not seem to be modified by aging. Results on immediate recognition suggest that recognition of low arousing excerpts can be affected by valence, with better memory for positive relative to negative low arousing music. However, 24 h delayed recognition results demonstrate effects of emotion on memory consolidation regardless of age, with a recognition benefit for high arousal and for negatively valenced music. The present study highlights the role of emotion on memory consolidation. Findings are examined in light of the literature on emotional memory for music and for other stimuli. We finally discuss the implication of the present results for potential music interventions in aging and dementia.

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Neural Correlates of Emotional Memories: A Review of Evidence From Brain Imaging Studies

Cited by 96 publications

References 177 publications

Effects of the brief viewing of emotional stimuli on understanding of insight solutions

Effects of the brief viewing of emotional stimuli on understanding of insight solutions

The effect of mild acute stress during memory consolidation on emotional recognition memory

Emotional memory for musical excerpts in young and older adults

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