Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

A specific role for the human amygdala in olfactory memory.

Tony W Buchanan1, Daniel Tranel, Ralph Adolphs

  • 1Department of Neurology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA. tony-buchanan@uiowa,edu

Learning & Memory (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.)
|October 15, 2003
PubMed
Summary

The human amygdala is crucial for olfactory memory. Damage impairs memory for odor names and recognition, highlighting its specific role in processing smell-related information.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Empathy motivation is preserved following amygdala damage.

Brain : a journal of neurology·2026
Same author

Lesions involving the insula are associated with reduced appetite and weight loss.

Brain communications·2026
Same author

Facets of Religion/Spirituality and Cognitive Health: Association Variations Across Gender and Race Among Older Adults.

Religions·2026
Same author

Acute post-stroke cognitive test performance predicts one-year functional independence.

medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences·2025
Same author

Research training in clinical neuropsychology: the Iowa-Benton perspective.

Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology·2025
Same author

Cognition Disconnected: The Influence of Domain-General Cognition (g) in Lesion-Deficit Mapping.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Olfactory Research

Background:

  • The medial temporal lobe is implicated in olfaction and memory.
  • The amygdala's specific role in human olfactory memory remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the human amygdala's contribution to memory for odors.
  • To differentiate olfactory memory deficits from general memory impairments.

Main Methods:

  • Assessed olfactory memory in patients with unilateral or bilateral amygdala damage and healthy controls.
  • Utilized odor-name matching and odor-odor recognition tests.
  • Administered an auditory verbal learning task to rule out general memory deficits.

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Unilateral amygdala damage impaired odor-name matching but not odor-odor recognition.
  • Bilateral amygdala damage severely impaired both odor-name matching and odor-odor recognition.
  • Patients showed no deficits in auditory verbal learning, indicating specific olfactory memory impairment.

Conclusions:

  • The human amygdala is essential for olfactory memory.
  • Evidence suggests distinct roles for unilateral and bilateral amygdala damage in olfactory memory processing.
  • Findings underscore the amygdala's specific function in integrating olfactory information with memory.