Intact enhancement of declarative memory for emotional material in amnesia

Abstract

Emotional arousal has been demonstrated to enhance declarative memory (conscious recollection) in humans in both naturalistic and experimental studies. Here, we examined this effect in amnesia. Amnesic patients and controls viewed a slide presentation while listening to an accompanying emotionally arousing story. In both groups, recognition memory was enhanced for the emotionally arousing story elements. The magnitude of the enhancement was proportional for both amnesic patients and controls. Emotional reactions to the story were also equivalent. The results suggest that the enhancement of declarative memory associated with emotional arousal is intact in amnesia. Together with findings from patients with bilateral amygdala lesions, the results indicate that the amygdala is responsible for the enhancement effect.