HIGH-RESOLUTION FMRI OF HIPPOCAMPAL SUBFIELD CONTRIBUTIONS TO EPISODIC MEMORY

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. Episodic memorymemory for individual eventspermits an organism to bridge the past with the present, providing information about prior events that serves to inform present decisions and action. Episodic memory critically depends on the medial temporal lobe (MTL) circuit, which is composed of multiple structures, including the hippocampal formation [dentate gyrus (DG), CA fields, and subiculum (SUB)] and the surrounding entorhinal (ERc), perirhinal (PRc), and parahippocampal (PHc) cortices. Though decades of research have aimed to characterize the role of MTL in episodic memory, fundamental questions remain regarding the functional contributions of specific MTL substructures. Recent advances in functional imaging methods have made it possible to address these questions in humans. Our research uses high-resolution fMRI to delineate the role of hippocampal subfields and MTL cortical structures in the encoding and retrieval of episodic memories. The experiments test anatomically-informed theory-driven hypotheses regarding the nature of episodic memory and its dependence on MTL function. The research further examines optimal learning parameters to promote the flexible, generative use of episodic memory, and the potential impact of motivational salience and attention on episodic memory processing and MTL function. To read about other projects ongoing at the Lucas Center, please visit http://rsl.stanford.edu/ (Lucas Annual Report and ISMRM 2011 Abstracts)