The activation of the caudate is associated with correct recollections in a reward-based recollection task

Hum Brain Mapp. 2016 Nov;37(11):3999-4005. doi: 10.1002/hbm.23290.

Abstract

Although specific brain regions have been implicated in long-term memory processes, the brain function responsible for correctly recollecting information remains incompletely understood. This study used a remember-recollection-recognition task to explore brain activities specifically associated with correct recollection. Seventy-eight subjects were first asked to remember 40 items and recollect them in the scanner. Comparison of correctly recollected trials to incorrectly recollected trials (when participants mistakenly believed they had recollected information correctly) identified greater activation of the caudate bilaterally. The involvement of caudate activation appears important in recollecting information correctly. Potential explanations and implications are discussed. Hum Brain Mapp 37:3999-4005, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Keywords: caudate; learning; memory; recollection.

MeSH terms

  • Brain Mapping
  • Caudate Nucleus / diagnostic imaging
  • Caudate Nucleus / physiology*
  • Female
  • Functional Laterality
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Mental Recall / physiology*
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Reaction Time
  • Recognition, Psychology / physiology
  • Reward*
  • Young Adult