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Updated: Jan 25, 2026
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Brain Imaging Investigation of the Memory-Enhancing Effect of Emotion
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Memory for emotional information and alexithymia A systematic review
Leonardo T Apgáua1, Antônio Jaeger2,3
1Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Dementia & Neuropsychologia
|May 11, 2019
Summary
Individuals with alexithymia, a difficulty in processing emotions, show reduced memory for emotional information. This impacts their ability to recall emotionally charged events.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Alexithymia is characterized by difficulties in recognizing, expressing, and regulating emotions.
- This trait is linked to various psychiatric and psychosomatic conditions, as well as risky behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between alexithymia and memory deficits for emotional information.
- Investigating the impact of alexithymia on both implicit and explicit memory.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature review was performed.
- Studies focusing on the effects of alexithymia on emotional memory were analyzed.
Main Results:
- While implicit memory results were varied, explicit memory studies indicated a deficit in emotional information retention for individuals with high alexithymia.
- High alexithymia is associated with impaired recall of emotional content.
Conclusions:
- The findings suggest that alexithymia diminishes the enhanced episodic memory typically observed for emotional information.
- Alexithymia may impair the processing and recall of emotionally salient experiences.
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