Largely intact memory for spatial locations during navigation in an individual with dense amnesia. 2022

Andrew S McAvan, and Aubrey A Wank, and Steven Z Rapcsak, and Matthew D Grilli, and Arne D Ekstrom
Psychology Department, University of Arizona, 1503 E University Blvd, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA; Evelyn McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, 1503 E University Blvd, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.

Spatial navigation and event memory (termed episodic memory) are thought to be heavily intertwined, both in terms of their cognitive processes and underlying neural systems. Some theoretical models posit that both memory for places during navigation and episodic memory depend on highly overlapping brain systems. Here, we assessed this relationship by testing navigation in an individual with severe retrograde and anterograde amnesia; the amnesia stemmed from bilateral lesions in the medial temporal lobes from two separate strokes. The individual with amnesia and age-matched controls were tested on their memories for the locations of previously seen objects relative to distal mountain cues in an immersive virtual environment involving free ambulation. All participants were tested from both repeated and novel start locations and when a single distal mountain cue was unknowingly moved to determine if they relied on a single (beacon) cue to a greater extent than the collection of all distal cues. Compared to age-matched controls, the individual with amnesia showed no significant deficits in navigation from either the repeated or novel start points, although both the individual with amnesia and controls performed well above chance at placing objects near their correct locations. The individual with amnesia also relied on a combination of distal cues in a manner comparable to age-matched controls. Despite largely intact memory for locations using distal cues, the individual with amnesia walked longer paths, rotated more, and took longer to complete trials. Our findings suggest that memory for places during navigation and episodic memory may involve partially dissociable brain circuits and that other brain regions outside of the medial temporal lobe partially support some aspects of navigation. At the same time, the fact that the individual with amnesia walked more circuitous paths and had dense amnesia for autobiographic events supports the idea that the hippocampus may be important for binding information as part of a larger role in memory.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D006624 Hippocampus A curved elevation of GRAY MATTER extending the entire length of the floor of the TEMPORAL HORN of the LATERAL VENTRICLE (see also TEMPORAL LOBE). The hippocampus proper, subiculum, and DENTATE GYRUS constitute the hippocampal formation. Sometimes authors include the ENTORHINAL CORTEX in the hippocampal formation. Ammon Horn,Cornu Ammonis,Hippocampal Formation,Subiculum,Ammon's Horn,Hippocampus Proper,Ammons Horn,Formation, Hippocampal,Formations, Hippocampal,Hippocampal Formations,Hippocampus Propers,Horn, Ammon,Horn, Ammon's,Proper, Hippocampus,Propers, Hippocampus,Subiculums
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000647 Amnesia Pathologic partial or complete loss of the ability to recall past experiences (AMNESIA, RETROGRADE) or to form new memories (AMNESIA, ANTEROGRADE). This condition may be of organic or psychologic origin. Organic forms of amnesia are usually associated with dysfunction of the DIENCEPHALON or HIPPOCAMPUS. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp426-7) Amnesia, Dissociative,Amnesia, Global,Amnesia, Hysterical,Amnesia, Tactile,Amnesia, Temporary,Amnesia-Memory Loss,Amnestic State,Amnesia Memory Loss,Amnesia-Memory Losses,Amnesias,Amnesias, Dissociative,Amnesias, Global,Amnesias, Hysterical,Amnesias, Tactile,Amnesias, Temporary,Amnestic States,Dissociative Amnesia,Dissociative Amnesias,Global Amnesia,Global Amnesias,Hysterical Amnesia,Hysterical Amnesias,State, Amnestic,States, Amnestic,Tactile Amnesia,Tactile Amnesias,Temporary Amnesia,Temporary Amnesias
D013702 Temporal Lobe Lower lateral part of the cerebral hemisphere responsible for auditory, olfactory, and semantic processing. It is located inferior to the lateral fissure and anterior to the OCCIPITAL LOBE. Anterior Temporal Lobe,Brodmann Area 20,Brodmann Area 21,Brodmann Area 22,Brodmann Area 37,Brodmann Area 38,Brodmann Area 52,Brodmann's Area 20,Brodmann's Area 21,Brodmann's Area 22,Brodmann's Area 37,Brodmann's Area 38,Brodmann's Area 52,Inferior Temporal Gyrus,Middle Temporal Gyrus,Parainsular Area,Fusiform Gyrus,Gyrus Fusiformis,Gyrus Temporalis Superior,Inferior Horn of Lateral Ventricle,Inferior Horn of the Lateral Ventricle,Lateral Occipito-Temporal Gyrus,Lateral Occipitotemporal Gyrus,Occipitotemporal Gyrus,Planum Polare,Superior Temporal Gyrus,Temporal Cortex,Temporal Gyrus,Temporal Horn,Temporal Horn of the Lateral Ventricle,Temporal Operculum,Temporal Region,Temporal Sulcus,Anterior Temporal Lobes,Area 20, Brodmann,Area 20, Brodmann's,Area 21, Brodmann,Area 21, Brodmann's,Area 22, Brodmann,Area 22, Brodmann's,Area 37, Brodmann,Area 37, Brodmann's,Area 38, Brodmann,Area 38, Brodmann's,Area 52, Brodmann,Area 52, Brodmann's,Area, Parainsular,Areas, Parainsular,Brodmanns Area 20,Brodmanns Area 21,Brodmanns Area 22,Brodmanns Area 37,Brodmanns Area 38,Brodmanns Area 52,Cortex, Temporal,Gyrus, Fusiform,Gyrus, Inferior Temporal,Gyrus, Lateral Occipito-Temporal,Gyrus, Lateral Occipitotemporal,Gyrus, Middle Temporal,Gyrus, Occipitotemporal,Gyrus, Superior Temporal,Gyrus, Temporal,Horn, Temporal,Lateral Occipito Temporal Gyrus,Lobe, Anterior Temporal,Lobe, Temporal,Occipito-Temporal Gyrus, Lateral,Occipitotemporal Gyrus, Lateral,Operculum, Temporal,Parainsular Areas,Region, Temporal,Sulcus, Temporal,Temporal Cortices,Temporal Gyrus, Inferior,Temporal Gyrus, Middle,Temporal Gyrus, Superior,Temporal Horns,Temporal Lobe, Anterior,Temporal Lobes,Temporal Lobes, Anterior,Temporal Regions
D061212 Memory, Episodic Type of declarative memory, consisting of personal memory in contrast to general knowledge. Episodic Memory,Autobiographical Memory,Memory, Prospective,Prospective Memory,Autobiographical Memories,Episodic Memories,Memories, Autobiographical,Memories, Episodic,Memories, Prospective,Memory, Autobiographical,Prospective Memories
D065852 Spatial Memory Memory related to spatial information. Memories, Spatial,Memory, Spatial,Spatial Memories
D065854 Spatial Navigation Process by which organisms use various cues to develop a route to a destination and their ability to travel such a planned route. Spatial Ability,Spatial Visualization,Abilities, Spatial,Ability, Spatial,Navigation, Spatial,Navigations, Spatial,Spatial Abilities,Spatial Navigations,Spatial Visualizations,Visualization, Spatial,Visualizations, Spatial

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