Direct electrical stimulation of the human amygdala enhances recognition memory for objects but not scenes

Research from neuroscience studies using invasive neuroanatomy-inspired direct manipulations suggests the basolateral amygdala (BLA) mediates a generalized modulation of many different types of memory. In contrast, noninvasive, psychology-inspired indirect correlations suggest that specificity exists in how the BLA prioritizes experiences in memory. We used direct electrical stimulation of the BLA to investigate the specificity of the memory enhancement in the human brain. Patients undergoing intracranial monitoring via depth electrodes viewed object and scene images, half of which were followed by BLA stimulation. Stimulation enhanced long-term memory for object but not scene images. Furthermore, BLA stimulation elicited stronger evoked responses in the anterior vs. posterior medial temporal lobe (MTL), regions that preferentially process object and scene learning, respectively. These results suggest the BLA exerts an important influence over the specificity of what information is prioritized in memory, rather than a general enhancement of all memory, and provide insight into how BLA-MTL projections contribute to the dynamics of memory prioritization.