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Spatial mnemonic encoding: Theta power decreases and medial temporal lobe BOLD increases co-occur during the usage of the method of loci

  • The method of loci is one, if not the most, efficient mnemonic encoding strategy. This spatial mnemonic combines the core cognitive processes commonly linked to medial temporal lobe (MTL) activity: spatial and associative memory processes. During such processes, fMRI studies consistently demonstrate MTL activity, while electrophysiological studies have emphasized the important role of theta oscillations (3–8 Hz) in the MTL. However, it is still unknown whether increases or decreases in theta power co-occur with increased BOLD signal in the MTL during memory encoding. To investigate this question, we recorded EEG and fMRI separately, while human participants used the spatial method of loci or the pegword method, a similarly associative but nonspatial mnemonic. The more effective spatial mnemonic induced a pronounced theta power decrease source localized to the left MTL compared with the nonspatial associative mnemonic strategy. This effect was mirrored by BOLD signal increases in the MTL. Successful encoding, irrespective of the strategy used, elicited decreases in left temporal theta power and increases in MTL BOLD activity. This pattern of results suggests a negative relationship between theta power and BOLD signal changes in the MTL during memory encoding and spatial processing. The findings extend the well known negative relation of alpha/beta oscillations and BOLD signals in the cortex to theta oscillations in the MTL.

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Metadaten
Author:Marie-Christin FellnerORCiDGND, Gregor Volberg, Maria WimberORCiD, Markus GoldhackerORCiD, Mark W. GreenleeORCiD, Simon Hanslmayr
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0184-16.2016
ISSN:2373-2822
Pubmed Id:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28101523
Parent Title (English):eNeuro
Publisher:Society for Neuroscience
Place of publication:Washington, DC
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Year of first Publication:2016
Release Date:2022/11/26
Tag:EEG; fMRI; memory encoding; method of loci; mnemonics; theta oscillations
Volume:3
Issue:6
First Page:1
Last Page:16
Institutes:Fakultät Maschinenbau
Begutachtungsstatus:peer-reviewed
Publication:Externe Publikationen
OpenAccess Publikationsweg:Gold Open Access- Erstveröffentlichung in einem/als Open-Access-Medium
research focus:Digitalisierung
Licence (German):Creative Commons - CC BY - Namensnennung 4.0 International