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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 13, 2026

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Memory-Enhancing Effect of Emotion

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Memory-Enhancing Effect of Emotion

Published on: May 4, 2011

Cognitive control over memory - individual differences in memory performance for emotional and neutral material.

M Wierzba¹, M Riegel², M Wypych²

¹Laboratory of Brain Imaging (LOBI), Neurobiology Center, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland. m.wierzba@nencki.gov.pl.

Scientific Reports

|March 2, 2018

Summary

Emotion impacts memory suppression, with individual differences influencing brain activity in the lateral prefrontal cortex (lateral PFC). Understanding these variations is key to grasping memory control mechanisms.

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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2026

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Memory-Enhancing Effect of Emotion

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Published on: May 4, 2011

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Impairing Effect of Emotion on Cognition

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The Emotional Stroop Task: Assessing Cognitive Performance under Exposure to Emotional Content

The Emotional Stroop Task: Assessing Cognitive Performance under Exposure to Emotional Content

Published on: June 29, 2016

Area of Science:

Cognitive Neuroscience
Psychology

Background:

Memory performance varies significantly among individuals.
Emotional content generally enhances memory recall, but its effect on memory suppression is less understood.
Previous research often overlooked individual differences in memory abilities.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how emotional content affects the ability to suppress memory.
To examine the neural mechanisms underlying directed forgetting of emotional versus neutral stimuli.
To explore the role of individual differences in memory suppression.

Main Methods:

Utilized the directed forgetting paradigm with fMRI.
Participants viewed and were instructed to remember or forget neutral and emotional words.
Memory recall was tested, and words were later rated for emotional valence and arousal.

Main Results:

Memory performance was influenced by instruction, engaging the lateral prefrontal cortex (lateral PFC) regardless of word emotion.
Lateral PFC engagement showed no difference between neutral and emotional words.
Lateral PFC engagement correlated with behavioral performance specifically for emotional words.

Conclusions:

Memory suppression relies on lateral PFC engagement, independent of emotional valence.
Individual differences in cognitive control may be crucial for understanding memory suppression, particularly for emotional content.
Future research should focus on individual variability to fully elucidate brain mechanisms of memory suppression.