title: Neural correlates of the encoding of multimodal contextual features.
abstract: Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed to identify neural regions engaged during the encoding of contextual features belonging to different modalities. Subjects studied objects that were presented to the left or right of fixation. Each object was paired with its name, spoken in either a male or a female voice. The test requirement was to discriminate studied from unstudied pictures and, for each picture judged old, to retrieve its study location and the gender of the voice that spoke its name. Study trials associated with accurate rather than inaccurate location memory demonstrated enhanced activity in the fusiform and parahippocampal cortex and the hippocampus and reduced activity (a negative subsequent memory effect) in the medial occipital cortex. Successful encoding of voice information was associated with enhanced study activity in the right middle superior temporal sulcus and activity reduction in the right superior frontal cortex. These findings support the proposal that encoding of a contextual feature is associated with enhanced activity in regions engaged during its online processing. In addition, they indicate that negative subsequent memory effects can also demonstrate feature-selectivity. Relative to other classes of study trials, trials for which both contextual features were later retrieved demonstrated enhanced activity in the lateral occipital complex and reduced activity in the temporo-parietal junction. These findings suggest that multifeatural encoding was facilitated when the study item was processed efficiently and study processing was not interrupted by redirection of attention toward extraneous events.
authors.affiliation: Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, USA.
authors.forename: Lauren J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Gottlieb
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Chastelaine
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Rugg
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001244:Association; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007600:Judgment / Q000502:physiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen