“Neural Processing Associated With True and False Memory Retrieval” by Yoko Essay

Introduction

The article that is summarized in this paper is titled “Neural Processing Associated with True and False Memory Retrieval” by Okado Yoko and Craig Stark. It was taken from the journal “Cognitive, Affective and Behavioral Neuroscience.” The article summary includes highlights of the research methods, findings and discussion.

Highlights of the Research in the Article

Methods

The research in the article was conducted with a purpose of understanding the mechanism through which distorted or false memories are created. The researchers used an experiment to study the activities of brain areas that process memories. The study involved 8 male and 6 female participants from Johns Hopkins University. The participants were aged between 19 and 31 years and had no history mental illness (Okado and Craig 326). The experiment was conducted in three stages. In the first stage, the researchers presented each participant with audio materials naming actual objects. The participants were asked to imagine how the named objects look like. Actual pictures of the objects were then shown to the participants followed by pictures of incomplete objects.

In the second stage, participants were asked to play a game which encouraged them to lie about the objects that were presented to them in the first stage of the experiment. The second stage was a lie test and was included in the experiment with a purpose of misinforming participants and distorting their memories of the objects. In the third stage, the researchers presented participants with audio materials naming the objects that they were shown in the first stage, the objects whose pictures were not shown and some new objects. A procedure called fMRI was used throughout the experiment to monitor changes in the activities of the brain. The data that was gathered from the experiment was analyzed using a statistical tool called ANOVA (Okado and Craig 327).

Results

Findings from the fMRI procedures showed that specific areas of the brain were activated by true and distorted memories. The researchers noted that both true and distorted memories activate activities in the left parental and left frontal areas of the brain. The experiment also revealed that areas of the brain called parahippocampal gyrus and occipital visual regions show more activity for true memories than for distorted memories. The experiment also indicated that an area of the brain called the right anterior cingulate gyrus is more active for distorted memories than for true memories (Okado and Craig 328).

Discussion

The authors discuss three main differences in the brain activities that were measured during the experiment. First, the recognition of pictures of imagined objects causes activity in specific areas of the brain while the recognition of pictures of objects that have been seen before activates different areas of the brain. Second, individuals can recognize imagined pictures falsely when they have never seen the actual object before (distorted memories). Third, individuals reject imagined pictures when they cannot remember seeing the actual object before (true memories). The researchers used their findings to argue that the areas of the brain that process memory act differently depending on the kind of memory that an individual seeks to retrieve. They also argue that different areas of the brain process specific information differently (Okado and Craig 331).

The researchers used the findings of the lie test to explain that misinformation leads to distorted memories. The experimental results specifically indicate that memories are easily distorted when individuals are exposed to misleading information. The authors admit that the experiment was limited by the fact that its findings would not be used to explain the specific neural and cognitive processes that were active during the implementation of various experimental tasks. They also note that the accuracy of the findings would have been affected by limitations in research methods and procedures, such as the effect of poor image on the quantity and quality of detail of retrieved memories. The authors conclude the discussion by stating that the processes of memory retrieval for true and distorted memories are different. Future research efforts on how specific areas of the brain work together to retrieve true and distorted memories are recommended (Okado and Craig 332).

Neuroscientific Terms

1. Left parietal region- Refers to the area of the brain that is located on the left side of parietal lobe. It plays a role in the process of differentiating between objects (Geranmayeh, Robert and Richard 127).
2. Left frontal region- Refers to the area of the brain that is located on the left side of the frontal lobe. It is responsible for controlling or directing language-related movements (Lin et al 89).
3. Parahippocampal gyrus- Is the area of the brain that is responsible for processing and retrieving memories. It is located around the hippocampus (Carone, Paul and Daniel 158).
4. Occipital visual region- Refers to an area in the occipital lobe of the brain that is responsible for processing visual information. Is also referred to as the visual cortex (Bekisz et al 8)
5. Cingulate gyrus- Is an area in the limbic system of the brain. It plays a role in processing memory and learning (Gallardo-Tur et al 3).

Discussion of the Nervous System

The authors mainly discuss the central nervous system, especially the brain. They specifically discuss the areas of the brain which are responsible for processing memories and sensory stimuli. They discuss these areas of the nervous system because they are relevant to the purpose of their experiment. For instance, the authors discuss the areas of the brain that process true and distorted memories. This is the central focus of their research.

Choice of Topic

I chose the topic that is discussed in the article in order to gain more understanding on the relationship between memory processing and the mechanism of distortion of stored memory. There are specific gaps in research literature on memory processing and retrieval (Geranmayeh, Robert and Richard 128). The need to fill gaps in my knowledge on memory retrieval motivated my choice of the topic. I also chose the topic with a view of informing my future research on the central nervous system. The practical applications of memory processing and retrieval functions of the brain, such as the analysis and assessment of eye-witness testimony make the chosen topic appealing.

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Article

Strengths

The research findings that the authors report in the article are reliable because they are informed by an experimental study design. The findings are also valid and accurate because they are based on radiological measurement of neurological activity. The statistical analysis of findings demonstrates that the arguments of the authors on the processing, distortion and retrieval of memory are credible.

Weaknesses

There are specific limitations in the research methods which may have interfered with the accuracy of the research findings. For instance, the researchers involved only 14 participants from the same community in the study. The small sample size indicates that the findings in the article may not be applicable in understanding memory processing and retrieval mechanisms of the general population.

Works Cited

Bekisz, Marek, et al. “The Primary Visual Cortex Is Differentially Modulated By Stimulus-Driven and Top-Down Attention.” Plos ONE 11.1 (2016): 1-22. Academic Search Premier. Web.

Carone, Dominic A., Paul, Green, and Daniel L. Drane. “Word Memory Test Profiles in Two Cases with Surgical Removal of the Left Anterior Hippocampus and Parahippocampal Gyrus.” Applied Neuropsychology: Adult 21.2 (2014): 155-160. Academic Search Premier. Web.

Gallardo-Tur, Alejandro, et al. “Transient Global Amnesia Associated With an Acute Infarction at the Cingulate Gyrus.” Case Reports in Neurological Medicine (2014): 1-4. Academic Search Premier. Web.

Geranmayeh, Fatemeh, Robert, Leech, and Richard J.S. Wise. “Semantic Retrieval During Overt Picture Description: Left Anterior Temporal Or The Parietal Lobe?.” Neuropsychologia 76.(2015): 125-135. Academic Search Premier. Web.

Lin, Jiuluan, et al. “Mapping Language Area in the Frontal Lobe of the Left-Dominant Hemisphere with High Gamma Electrocorticography.” Journal of Neurolinguistics 35.(2015): 85-95. Academic Search Premier. Web.

Okado, Yoko, and Craig Stark. “Neural Processing Associated With True And False Memory Retrieval.” Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience.3.4 (2003): 323-334. Web.