Noradrenergic modulation of emotion-induced forgetting and remembering.
We used a free-recall paradigm to establish a behavioral index of the retrograde and anterograde interference of emotion with episodic memory encoding. In two experiments involving 78 subjects, we show that negatively valenced items elicit retrograde amnesia, whereas positively valenced items elicit retrograde hypermnesia. These data indicate item valence is critical in determining retrograde amnesia and retrograde hypermnesia. In contrast, we show that item arousal induces an anterograde amnesic effect, consistent with the idea that a valence-evoked arousal mechanism compromises anterograde episodic encoding. Randomized double-blind administration of the beta-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol compared with the selective norepinephrine (NE) reuptake-inhibitor reboxetine, and placebo, demonstrated that the magnitude of this emotional amnesia and hypermnesia can be upregulated and downregulated as a function of emotional arousal and central NE signaling. We conclude that a differential processing of emotional arousal and valence influences how the brain remembers and forgets.
Hurlemann
René
R
Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany. Rene.Hurlemann@ukb.uni-bonn.de
Hawellek
Barbara
B
Matusch
Andreas
A
Kolsch
Heike
H
Wollersen
Heike
H
Madea
Burkhard
B
Vogeley
Kai
K
Maier
Wolfgang
W
Dolan
Raymond J
RJ
D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D020324:Amnesia, Anterograde / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D000648:Amnesia, Retrograde / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D000679:Amygdala / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004644:Emotions / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009025:Morpholines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011433:Propranolol / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077593:Reboxetine
D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors; D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D009025:Morpholines; D000077593:Reboxetine; D011433:Propranolol; D009638:Norepinephrine