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Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear

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Profound retroactive interference in anterograde amnesia: What interferes?

Michaela Dewar¹, Sergio Della Sala, Nicoletta Beschin

¹Human Cognitive Neuroscience, Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, United Kingdom. m.dewar@ed.ac.uk

Neuropsychology

|May 5, 2010

Summary

New information significantly interferes with memory retention in amnesic patients, even when dissimilar. This nonspecific retroactive interference impacts memory consolidation, differing from item-specific interference affecting retrieval.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Psychology
Clinical Psychology

Background:

Anterograde amnesia involves a severe inability to form new memories.
Retroactive interference is a potential cause of memory impairment in amnesia.
The specific nature of interfering material in amnesic patients is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if dissimilar postlearning material interferes with memory in amnesic patients.
To explore the role of nonspecific retroactive interference in anterograde amnesia.

Main Methods:

Tested prose retention in 10 amnesic patients and 10 controls.
A 10-minute delay was either unfilled (minimal interference) or filled with a tone detection task (nonspecific interference).

Main Results:

A significant nonspecific retroactive interference effect was found in amnesic patients (p < 0.004).
7/10 amnesic patients recalled prose after an unfilled delay, but only 1/10 after the tone detection task.

Conclusions:

Some amnesic patients can retain information longer than typical, but new postlearning information profoundly interferes.
Nonspecific retroactive interference observed differs from item-specific interference seen in executive impairment.
Hypothesized distinct memory processes: consolidation (nonspecific interference) and retrieval (item-specific interference).