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The amygdala is not necessary for the familiarity aspect of recognition memory

Author

Listed:
  • Benjamin M. Basile

    (National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health
    Dickinson College)

  • Vincent D. Costa

    (National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health
    Oregon National Primate Research Center)

  • Jamie L. Schafroth

    (National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health
    University of Arizona)

  • Chloe L. Karaskiewicz

    (National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health
    UC Davis)

  • Daniel R. Lucas

    (National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health)

  • Elisabeth A. Murray

    (National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health)

Abstract

Dual-process accounts of item recognition posit two memory processes: slow but detailed recollection, and quick but vague familiarity. It has been proposed, based on prior rodent work, that the amygdala is critical for the familiarity aspect of item recognition. Here, we evaluated this proposal in male rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) with selective bilateral excitotoxic amygdala damage. We used four established visual memory tests designed to assess different aspects of familiarity, all administered on touchscreen computers. Specifically, we assessed monkeys’ tendencies to make low-latency false alarms, to make false alarms to recently seen lures, to produce curvilinear ROC curves, and to discriminate stimuli based on repetition across days. Three of the four tests showed no familiarity impairment and the fourth was explained by a deficit in reward processing. Consistent with this, amygdala damage did produce an anticipated deficit in reward processing in a three-arm-bandit gambling task, verifying the effectiveness of the lesions. Together, these results contradict prior rodent work and suggest that the amygdala is not critical for the familiarity aspect of item recognition.

Suggested Citation

  • Benjamin M. Basile & Vincent D. Costa & Jamie L. Schafroth & Chloe L. Karaskiewicz & Daniel R. Lucas & Elisabeth A. Murray, 2023. "The amygdala is not necessary for the familiarity aspect of recognition memory," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-43906-8
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43906-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Norbert J. Fortin & Sean P. Wright & Howard Eichenbaum, 2004. "Recollection-like memory retrieval in rats is dependent on the hippocampus," Nature, Nature, vol. 431(7005), pages 188-191, September.
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