The neuroanatomy of autobiographical memory: A slow cortical potential study of autobiographical memory retrieval

Changes in slow cortical potentials recorded at the scalp were. tracked whi le participants retrieved autobiographical memories and then held them in m ind. During retrieval extensive areas over left frontal scalp exhibited mar ked negative dc shifts and a similar though smaller effect was also observe d over right frontal regions. As a memory was formed and then held in mind, electrodes located over posterior temporal and occipital regions exhibited marked negative shifts. It is proposed that the left frontal negativity pr imarily reflects cortical activation associated with the operation of a com plex retrieval process, whereas the later temporal and occipital negativity (the result of the retrieval process) reflects activation corresponding to the formation and maintenance of a detailed memory. (C) 2001 Academic Pres s.