Journal Article

DZNE-2024-01166

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Hippocampal-occipital connectivity reflects autobiographical memory deficits in aphantasia

Monzel, M. (First author)DZNE* ; Leelaarporn, P. (First author)DZNE* ; Lutz, T.DZNE* ; Schultz, J. ; Brunheim, S.DZNE* ; Reuter, M.Extern* ; McCormick, C. (Last author)DZNE*

2024
eLife Sciences Publications Cambridge

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Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.7554/eLife.94916.3  doi:10.7554/eLife.94916

Abstract: Aphantasia refers to reduced or absent visual imagery. While most of us can readily recall decade-old personal experiences (autobiographical memories, AM) with vivid mental images, there is a dearth of information about whether the loss of visual imagery in aphantasics affects their AM retrieval. The hippocampus is thought to be a crucial hub in a brain-wide network underlying AM. One important question is whether this network, especially the connectivity of the hippocampus, is altered in aphantasia. In the current study, we tested 14 congenital aphantasics and 16 demographically matched controls in an AM fMRI task to investigate how key brain regions (i.e. hippocampus and visual-perceptual cortices) interact with each other during AM re-experiencing. All participants were interviewed regarding their autobiographical memory to examine their episodic and semantic recall of specific events. Aphantasics reported more difficulties in recalling AM, were less confident about their memories, and described less internal and emotional details than controls. Neurally, aphantasics displayed decreased hippocampal and increased visual-perceptual cortex activation during AM retrieval compared to controls. In addition, controls showed strong negative functional connectivity between the hippocampus and the visual cortex during AM and resting-state functional connectivity between these two brain structures predicted better visualization skills. Our results indicate that visual mental imagery plays an important role in detail-rich vivid AM, and that this type of cognitive function is supported by the functional connection between the hippocampus and the visual-perceptual cortex.

Keyword(s): Humans (MeSH) ; Hippocampus: physiopathology (MeSH) ; Male (MeSH) ; Female (MeSH) ; Memory, Episodic (MeSH) ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MeSH) ; Adult (MeSH) ; Middle Aged (MeSH) ; Mental Recall: physiology (MeSH) ; Memory Disorders: physiopathology (MeSH) ; Occipital Lobe: physiopathology (MeSH) ; Occipital Lobe: diagnostic imaging (MeSH) ; Young Adult (MeSH) ; aphantasia ; autobiographical retrieval ; episodic memory ; functional connectivity ; human ; neural networks ; neuroscience ; visual cortex

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. Clinical Research Coordination (Clinical Research (Bonn))
2. Clinical Research Platform (CRP) (AG Spottke)
3. Neuronal Networks (AG Remy)
4. MR Physics (AG Stöcker)

Research Program(s):

1. 353 - Clinical and Health Care Research (POF4-353) (POF4-353)
2. 351 - Brain Function (POF4-351) (POF4-351)
3. 354 - Disease Prevention and Healthy Aging (POF4-354) (POF4-354)

Appears in the scientific report 2024

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Database coverage:
; ; ; ; Article Processing Charges ; BIOSIS Previews ; Biological Abstracts ; Clarivate Analytics Master Journal List ; DOAJ Seal ; Ebsco Academic Search ; Essential Science Indicators ; Fees ; IF >= 5 ; JCR ; PubMed Central ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Web of Science Core Collection ; Zoological Record

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Linked articles:

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Dataset Monzel, M.Extern* ; Leelaarporn, P.DZNE* ; Lutz, T.DZNE* ; Schultz, J. ; Brunheim, S.Extern* ; Reuter, M.Extern* ; McCormick, C.DZNE*
Data from: Hippocampal-occipital connectivity reflects autobiographical memory deficits in aphantasia
Dryad (2025) [10.5061/dryad.fbg79cp48]2025 BibTeX | EndNote: XML, Text | RIS

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