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Updated: May 20, 2026
15:57
Brain Imaging Investigation of the Memory-Enhancing Effect of Emotion
Published on: May 4, 2011
Give it time: neural evidence for distorted time perception and enhanced memory encoding in emotional situations
Georg Dirnberger1, Guido Hesselmann, Jonathan P Roiser
1Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel. georg.dirnberger@weizmann.ac.il
Neuroimage
|July 4, 2012
Summary
Emotional events distort time perception, making them seem longer, yet improving memory recall. This study links altered time perception and enhanced memory for emotional stimuli via neural networks.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychology
Background:
- Emotional experiences significantly impact memory formation and recall.
- Time perception is often altered during emotionally charged situations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the functional link between time perception distortions and memory enhancement during emotional events.
- To identify the neural underpinnings of this association.
Main Methods:
- Participants performed time estimation tasks with emotionally aversive and neutral stimuli.
- Recognition memory for these stimuli was assessed.
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to examine brain activity.
Main Results:
- Emotionally aversive stimuli were perceived as longer than neutral stimuli.
- Overestimation of time for aversive stimuli correlated with better recognition memory.
- Specific brain regions including the amygdala, putamen, insula, and superior frontal gyrus showed differential activation.
Conclusions:
- Accelerated processing during aversive events may enhance memory encoding at the cost of time perception accuracy.
- Neural activity in the insula and putamen is associated with memory performance during time overestimation of aversive stimuli.
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