Neurophysiology of successful encoding and retrieval of source memory

Event-related potentials were recorded during encoding, to identify whether brain activity predicts subsequent retrieval of spatial source information, and during retrieval, to investigate the neural correlates of successful and unsuccessful spatial context recollection. The amplitude registered during encoding for study items that were later recognized and assigned a correct source judgment was more positive than the amplitude for recognized items given incorrect source judgments; this difference started 480 msec poststimulus, predominantly at central and anterior sites. During retrieval, the waveform was more positive from 250 to 1,600 msec poststimulus when the brain had retrieved episodic information successfully than when it had failed. These findings indicate that brain electrical activity recorded during the first presentation of an item within its context predicts the subsequent retrieval of the specific spatial context. During retrieval, brain activity differed quantitatively at anterior sites and qualitatively at posterior sites according to the accuracy of source memory.