Does the hippocampus keep track of time?
In the present study, we examined the role of the medial temporal lobe (MTL) in prospective time estimation at short and long timescales using a novel behavioral paradigm adapted from rodent work. Amnesic patients with MTL damage and healthy control participants estimated the duration of nature-based video clips that were either short (≤ 90 s) or long (more than 4 min). Consistent with previous work in rodents, we found that amnesic patients were impaired at making estimations for long, but not for short durations. Critically, these effects were observed in patients who had lesions circumscribed to the hippocampus, suggesting that the pattern observed was not attributable to the involvement of extra-hippocampal structures. That the MTL, and more specifically the hippocampus, is critical for prospective temporal estimation only at long intervals suggests that multiple neurobiological mechanisms support prospective time estimation.
Memory Disorders Research Center, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts.|Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.
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Palombo
Memory Disorders Research Center, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts.|Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.|Department of Psychology, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts.
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Keane
Memory Disorders Research Center, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts.|Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.
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Verfaellie
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003704:Dementia / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D013998:Time Perception / Q000502:physiology*
amnesia; lesion; medial temporal lobes; prospective; time estimation