The long and the short of it: relational memory impairments in amnesia, even at short lags
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Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Examining the Characteristics of Episodic Memory using Event-related Potentials in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease
Published on: August 30, 2011
Deborah E Hannula1, Daniel Tranel, Neal J Cohen
1University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois 61801, USA. dehannula@ucdavis.edu
Abstract:
Classic studies of amnesia led to characterizations of hippocampal function emphasizing involvement in long-term memory rather than short-term (or working) memory. In two experiments, we show that when memory for relations among co-occurring items is tested, hippocampal amnesia results in a deficit even at very short lags. Hence, we find evidence for hippocampal involvement in relational memory, even at short lags normally considered the province of working memory.
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