The Prefrontal Cortex and Episodic Memory Function

Daniel Ragland, Ph.D.
University of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, PA

Course Prerequisites:
None

Course Description:
This course presents neuropsychological and functional neuroimaging evidence establishing a role for the prefrontal cortex in the encoding and retrieval of episodic memories. Data from patients with schizophrenia will also be presented to illustrate how disruption of prefrontal function can impact episodic memory performance. Information gained from these clinical studies provides a foundation for potential remediation strategies.

 Course Outline:
I.    Definition of Episodic Memory

II.   Historic Lesion Models of Hippocampal Control of Episodic Memory

III.  Functional Imaging Evidence of Prefrontal Involvement in Episodic Memory
           A. Material Specificity
           B. Process Specificity

IV.  Impact of Schizophrenia on Prefrontal Function and Episodic Memory Performance

V.  Development of Remediation Strategies for Episodic Memory Dysfunction
 
 
Reading List

Ragland, J.D., Gur, R.C., Raz, J., Schroeder, L., Smith, R.J., Alavi, A., Gur, R.E. (2001). Effect of Schizophrenia on Frontotemporal Activity During Word     Encoding and Recognition: A PET Cerebral Blood Flow Study. American Journal of Psychiatry, 158, 1114-1125.

Weiss, A.P., Heckers, S. (2001). Neuroimaging of declarative memory in schizophrenia.
Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 42, 239-250.
 
 

                                                                                                                                                Course Schedule:

I.                   Monday 6/21: Introductory Lecture & Class Assignments
- Definition of Episodic Memory & Hippocampal Lesion Models
– Discussion of Shimamura, Janowsky, & Squire (1991)

II.                Wednesday 6/23: Role of Frontal Lobe Lesions
- Presentation on the Prefrontal Cortex
- Discussion of Wheeler, Stuss & Tulving (1995)
- Discussion of Owen et al. (1996)

III.             Monday 6/28: Imaging of Episodic Memory (HERA & beyond)
- Presentation of Functional Imaging Methods
- Discussion of Tulving et al. (1994)
- Discussion of Buckner (1996)

IV.              Wednesday 6/30: Imaging of Episodic Memory (prefrontal subregions)
- Presentation on prefrontal subregions
- Discussion of Nyberg (1998)
- Discussion of Fletcher & Henson (2001)

V.                 Monday 7/5: Imaging of Episodic Memory (integrative network models)
- Presentation on correlational analyses of functional imaging data
- Discussion of Simons & Spiers (2003)
- Discussion of Becker & Lim (2003)

VI.              Wednesday 7/7: Effect of Schizophrenia on Episodic Memory
- Presentation on the neuropsychology of schizophrenia
- Discussion of Paulsen et al. (1995)
- Discussion of Aleman et al. (1999)

VII.           Monday 7/12: Effect of Schizophrenia on Frontotemporal Function
- Presentation on imaging episodic memory in schizophrenia
- Discussion of Hazlett et al. (2000)
- Discussion of Ragland et al. (2004)

    VIII.        Wednesday 7/14: Cognitive Remediation & Conclusion
                - Presentation on remediation models
                – Discussion of Wykes et al. (2002)
                - Question & Answer Session 

 Reading List & Presentation Assignments

 

Monday 6/21

 Sharon Naismith:

Shimamura, A.P., Janowsky, J.S., Squire, L.R. (1991). What is the Role of Frontal Lobe Damage in Memory Disorders? In Levin, H.S., Eisenberg, H.M., Benton, A.L. (Eds.), Frontal Lobe Function and Dysfunction (pp. 173-195).

 

Wednesday 6/23

 Laura Romoli:

Wheeler, M.A., Stuss, D.T., Tulving, E. (1995). Frontal lobe damage produces episodic memory impairment. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 1, 525-536.

 

Dimitra Anezoulaki:

Owen, A.M., Morris, R.G., Sahakian, B.J., Polkey, C.E., Robbins, T.W. (1996). Double dissociations of memory and executive functions in working memory tasks following frontal lobe excisions, temporal lobe excisions or amygdalo-hippocampectomy in man. Brain, 119, 1597-1615.

 

Monday 6/28

 Crystal Cheung:

Tulving, E., Kapur, S., Craik, F.I.M., Moscovitch, M., Houle, S. (1994). Hemispheric encoding/retrieval asymmetry in episodic memory: positron emission tomography findings. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 91, 2016-2020.  

 

Demian Goldstein:

Buckner, R.L. (1996). Beyond HERA: Contributions of Specific Prefrontal Brain Areas to Long-Term Memory Retrieval. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 3, 149-158.  

 

Wednesday 6/30

 Angela Gutchess:

Nyberg, L. (1998). Mapping episodic memory. Behavioral Brain Research, 90, 107-114. 

 

Caryn Glosch:

Fletcher, P.C., Henson, R.N. (2001). Frontal lobes and human memory: insights from functional neuroimaging. Brain, 124, 849-881. 

 

Monday 7/5

 Anne-Marie Aupee:

Simons JS. Spiers HJ. (2003). Prefrontal and medial temporal lobe interactions in long-term memory. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 4, 637-648.

 

Stella Karantzoulis & Karine Sergerie:

Becker, S., Lim, J. (2003). A computational model of prefrontal control in free recall: strategic memory use in the California Verbal Learning Task. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 15, 821-832.  

 

Wednesday 7/7

 Dorcas Fok:

Paulsen, J.S., Heaton, R.K., Sadek, J.R., Perry, W., Delis, D.C., Braff, D., Kuck, J., Zisook, S., Jeste, D.V. (1995). The Nature of Learning and Memory Impairments in Schizophrenia. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 1, 88-99.

 

Sara Cavaco:

Aleman, A., Hijman, R., de Haan, E.H.F., Kahn, R.S. (1999). Memory Impairment in Schizophrenia: A Meta-Analysis. American Journal of Psychiatry, 156, 1358-1366.  


Monday 7/12

 Christina Andreou:

Hazlett, E.A., Buchsbaum, M.S., Jeu, L.A., Nenadic, I., Fleischman, M.B., Shihabuddin, L., Haznedar, M.M., Harvey, P.D. (2000). Hypofrontality in unmedicated schizophrenia patients studied with PET during performance of a serial verbal learning task. Schizophrenia Research, 43, 33-46.


Bryan Strange:

Ragland, J.D., Gur, R.C., Valdez, J., Turetsky, B.I., Elliott, M., Kohler, C., Siegel, S., Kanes, S., Gur, R.E. (2004). Event-Related fMRI of Frontotemporal Activity During Word Encoding And Recognition in Schizophrenia. American Journal of Psychiatry, 161, 1004-1015.  

 

Wednesday 7/14

 Christine Stelzel:

Wykes, T., Brammer, M., Mellers, J., Bray, P., Reeder, C., Williams, C., Corner, J. (2002). Effects on the brain of a psychological treatment: cognitive remediation therapy. British Journal of Psychiatry, 181, 144-152.

 

 
PowerPoint Presentations


Lecture - Imaging of Episodic Memory