The Contribution of the Various Medial Temporal Regions, Frontal
Cortex and Thalamus to Memory
Michael Petrides/Ysbrand Van Der Werf
McGill University
Montreal, Canada
Prerequisites: Some introductory knowledge of
the anatomy of the brain will be assumed. Students who have completed a bachelor’s
degree in psychology, biology, physiology or have obtained a medical degree
will usually have acquired this basic knowledge.
Course Description:
We have known for a long time now that bilateral lesions of the limbic
structures in the medial part of the temporal lobe lead to a several amnesic
syndrome. The medial temporal region comprises several neural structures,
such as the amygdala, the hippocampus, the entorhinal and perirhinal cortex,
as well as the parahippocampal cortex. What is the specific role of each one
of these structures in memory? In addition, how do these structures interact
with various cortical and subcortical areas, such as the orbitofrontal cortex,
the lateral temporal cortex, and the thalamus during mnemonic performance?
The course will focus on these issues and will examine evidence from various
sources, such as the effects of lesions in patients and experimental animals
(primarily monkeys) and functional neuroimaging work with normal human subjects.
1)Anatomical organization of the medial temporal region and related structures
such as the temporal neocortex, the cingulate, the orbitofrontal cortex,
and the thalamus. We shall examine the architecture of these regions
as well as their anatomical connections.
2)The effects on memory of lesions that involve the medial temporal structures,
the orbitofrontal region, and the thalamus in patients. We shall examine
evidence about specificity of function based on patient studies.
3)The effects on memory of lesions restricted to specific parts of the
medial temporal region (e.g. amygdala, entorhinal and perirhinal cortex, parahippocampal
cortex, hippocampus) in experimental animals such as monkeys. This work has
provided some of the best evidence for specificity of function.
4)Evidence from functional neuroimaging studies conducted with normal
subjects during the performance of memory tasks. We shall examine evidence
from positron emission tomography (PET), functional magnetic resonance imaging
(fMRI), and magnetoencephalography (MEG).
Tentative Reading List
This is only a preliminary list to give students an idea of a few
articles that they could consult prior to the course. The final list of
readings and copies of the key readings will be provided on the first day
of the course. Students who would like to refresh their knowledge of some
basic anatomy can read some of the chapters from Carpenter or Brodal or Kolb
and Wishaw, especially those chapters that deal with the anatomy of the cerebral
cortex, the hippocampus, and the amygdala.
Carpenter, M. B. Core Text of Neuroanatomy. Williams, Wilkins 1978
Brodal, A. Neurological Anatomy in Relation to Clinical Medicine. Oxford
University Press 1981.
Kolb, B. & Whishaw, I.Q. Fundamentals of Human Neuropsychology
(3rd ed.). W.H. Freman & Co. 1990
McCarthy, R.A. & Warrington, E.K. Cognitive Neuropsychology. A Clinical
Introduction. Academic Press 1990
Milner, B., Corkin, S., & H.-L. Teuber. Further analysis of the hippocampal
amnesic syndrome: 14-year follow-up study of H.M.
Neuropsychologia,
1968,
6, 215-234.
Milner, B. Psychological aspects of focal epilepsy and its neurosurgical
management. In D.P. Purpura et al., (Eds.)
Advances in neurology.
New York: Raven Press, 1975.
Squire, L.R. & Zola-Morgan, S. The medial temporal lobe memory system.
Science, 1991,
253, 1380-1386.
Aggleton, J.P. The contribution of the amygdala to normal and abnormal
emotional states.
Trends in Neurosciences, 1993,
16,
328-333.
Cahill, L. & McGaugh, J. L Mechanisms of emotional arousal and lasting
declarative memory.
Trends in Neurosciences, 1998,
21,
294-299.
Milner B. and Petrides, M. Behavioural effects of frontal-lobe lesions
in man.
Trends in Neurosciences, 1984,
7, 403-407.
Petrides, M. Specialized systems for the processing of mnemonic information
within the primate frontal cortex.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal
Society, London B, 1996,
351, 1455-1462.