The neuroscience of positive memory deficits in depression
Adults with unipolar depression typically show poor episodic memory for positive material, but the neuroscientific mechanisms responsible for this deficit have not been characterized. I suggest a simple hypothesis: weak memory for positive material in depression reflects disrupted communication betw...
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Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01295/full |
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doaj-30e310f2851d4dacad1be4b31d131b3c2020-11-25T00:53:51ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782015-09-01610.3389/fpsyg.2015.01295158950The neuroscience of positive memory deficits in depressionDaniel Gerard Dillon0McLean HospitalAdults with unipolar depression typically show poor episodic memory for positive material, but the neuroscientific mechanisms responsible for this deficit have not been characterized. I suggest a simple hypothesis: weak memory for positive material in depression reflects disrupted communication between the mesolimbic dopamine pathway and medial temporal lobe (MTL) memory systems during encoding. This proposal draws on basic research showing that dopamine release in the hippocampus is critical for the transition from early- to late-phase long-term potentiation (LTP) that marks the conversion of labile, short-term memories into stable, long-term memories. Neuroimaging and pharmacological data from healthy humans paint a similar picture: activation of the mesolimbic reward circuit enhances encoding and boosts retention. Unipolar depression is characterized by anhedonia--loss of pleasure--and reward circuit dysfunction, which is believed to reflect negative effects of stress on the mesolimbic dopamine pathway. Thus, I propose that the MTL is deprived of strengthening reward signals in depressed adults and memory for positive events suffers accordingly. Although other mechanisms are important, this hypothesis holds promise as an explanation for positive memory deficits in depression.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01295/fullAnhedoniaDepressionHippocampusMemoryReward |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Daniel Gerard Dillon |
spellingShingle |
Daniel Gerard Dillon The neuroscience of positive memory deficits in depression Frontiers in Psychology Anhedonia Depression Hippocampus Memory Reward |
author_facet |
Daniel Gerard Dillon |
author_sort |
Daniel Gerard Dillon |
title |
The neuroscience of positive memory deficits in depression |
title_short |
The neuroscience of positive memory deficits in depression |
title_full |
The neuroscience of positive memory deficits in depression |
title_fullStr |
The neuroscience of positive memory deficits in depression |
title_full_unstemmed |
The neuroscience of positive memory deficits in depression |
title_sort |
neuroscience of positive memory deficits in depression |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
series |
Frontiers in Psychology |
issn |
1664-1078 |
publishDate |
2015-09-01 |
description |
Adults with unipolar depression typically show poor episodic memory for positive material, but the neuroscientific mechanisms responsible for this deficit have not been characterized. I suggest a simple hypothesis: weak memory for positive material in depression reflects disrupted communication between the mesolimbic dopamine pathway and medial temporal lobe (MTL) memory systems during encoding. This proposal draws on basic research showing that dopamine release in the hippocampus is critical for the transition from early- to late-phase long-term potentiation (LTP) that marks the conversion of labile, short-term memories into stable, long-term memories. Neuroimaging and pharmacological data from healthy humans paint a similar picture: activation of the mesolimbic reward circuit enhances encoding and boosts retention. Unipolar depression is characterized by anhedonia--loss of pleasure--and reward circuit dysfunction, which is believed to reflect negative effects of stress on the mesolimbic dopamine pathway. Thus, I propose that the MTL is deprived of strengthening reward signals in depressed adults and memory for positive events suffers accordingly. Although other mechanisms are important, this hypothesis holds promise as an explanation for positive memory deficits in depression. |
topic |
Anhedonia Depression Hippocampus Memory Reward |
url |
http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01295/full |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT danielgerarddillon theneuroscienceofpositivememorydeficitsindepression AT danielgerarddillon neuroscienceofpositivememorydeficitsindepression |
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