title: Impaired emotional autobiographical memory associated with right amygdalar-hippocampal atrophy in Alzheimer's disease patients.
abstract: We studied the influence of emotions on autobiographical memory (AbM) in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), characteristically triggering atrophy in the hippocampus and the amygdala, two crucial structures sustaining memory and emotional processing. Our first aim was to analyze the influence of emotion on AbM in AD patients, on both the proportion and the specificity of emotional memories. Additionally, we sought to determine the relationship of emotional AbM to amygdalar-hippocampal volumes. Eighteen prodromal to mild AD patients and 18 age-matched healthy controls were included. We obtained 30 autobiographical memories per participant using the modified Crovitz test (MCT). Analyses were performed on global scores, rates and specificity scores of the emotional vs. neutral categories of memories. Amygdalar-hippocampal volumes were extracted from 3D T1-weighted MRI scans and tested for correlations with behavioral data. Overall, AD patients displayed a deficit in emotional AbMs as they elicited less emotional memories than the controls, however, the specificity of those memories was preserved. The deficit likely implied retrieval or storage as it was extended in time and without reminiscence bump effect. Global scores and rates of emotional memories, but not the specificity scores, were correlated to right amygdalar and hippocampal volumes, indicating that atrophy in these structures has a central role in the deficit observed. Conversely, emotional memories were more specific than neutral memories in both groups, reflecting an enhancement effect of emotion that could be supported by other brain regions that are spared during the early stages of the disease.
authors: CMRR, Service of Neurology, Neuropsychology Unit, University Hospital of Strasbourg Strasbourg, France ; Cognitive Neuropsychology and Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia (U1114), University of Strasbourg and INSERM Strasbourg, France ; ICube Laboratory (UMR 7357), University of Strasbourg and CNRS Strasbourg, France.
authors: Nathalie
authors: N
authors: Philippi
authors: Cognitive Neuropsychology and Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia (U1114), University of Strasbourg and INSERM Strasbourg, France.
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Botzung
authors: ICube Laboratory (UMR 7357), University of Strasbourg and CNRS Strasbourg, France.
authors: Vincent
authors: V
authors: Noblet
authors: ICube Laboratory (UMR 7357), University of Strasbourg and CNRS Strasbourg, France.
authors: François
authors: F
authors: Rousseau
authors: Cognitive and Adaptive Neurosciences Laboratory (UMR 7364), University of Strasbourg and CNRS Strasbourg, France.
authors: Olivier
authors: O
authors: Després
authors: CMRR, Service of Neurology, Neuropsychology Unit, University Hospital of Strasbourg Strasbourg, France ; ICube Laboratory (UMR 7357), University of Strasbourg and CNRS Strasbourg, France.
authors: Benjamin
authors: B
authors: Cretin
authors: Service of Radiology, University Hospital of Strasbourg Strasbourg, France.
authors: Stéphane
authors: S
authors: Kremer
authors: CMRR, Service of Neurology, Neuropsychology Unit, University Hospital of Strasbourg Strasbourg, France ; ICube Laboratory (UMR 7357), University of Strasbourg and CNRS Strasbourg, France.
authors: Frédéric
authors: F
authors: Blanc
authors: Cognitive Neuropsychology and Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia (U1114), University of Strasbourg and INSERM Strasbourg, France.
authors: Liliann
authors: L
authors: Manning
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; amygdala; autobiographical memory; emotion; hippocampus