Power shifts track serial position and modulate encoding in human episodic memory.
Publication/Presentation Date
2-1-2014
Abstract
The first events in a series exert a powerful influence on cognition and behavior in both humans and animals. This is known as the law of primacy. Here, we analyze the neural correlates of primacy in humans by analyzing electrocorticographic recordings in 84 neurosurgical patients as they studied and subsequently recalled lists of common words. We found that spectral power in the gamma frequency band (28-100 Hz) was elevated at the start of the list and gradually subsided, whereas lower frequency (2-8 Hz) delta and theta band power exhibited the opposite trend. This gradual shift in the power spectrum was found across a widespread network of brain regions. The degree to which the subsequent memory effect was modulated by list (serial) position was most pronounced in medial temporal lobe structures. These results suggest that globally increased gamma and decreased delta-theta spectral powers reflect a brain state that predisposes medial temporal lobe structures to enhance the encoding and maintenance of early list items.
Volume
24
Issue
2
First Page
403
Last Page
413
ISSN
1460-2199
Published In/Presented At
Serruya, M. D., Sederberg, P. B., & Kahana, M. J. (2014). Power shifts track serial position and modulate encoding in human episodic memory. Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991), 24(2), 403–413. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhs318
Disciplines
Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Health and Medical Administration | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
PubMedID
23081881
Department(s)
Administration and Leadership
Document Type
Article