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Neurological Sciences
Published in: Neurological Sciences 3/2016

01-03-2016 | Review Article

Memory suppression in Alzheimer’s disease

Author: Mohamad El Haj

Published in: Neurological Sciences | Issue 3/2016

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Abstract

An important challenge for memory is the competition between appropriate and inappropriate information during retrieval. This competition is normally reduced thanks to controlled inhibitory processes that suppress irrelevant memories. In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), compromise of suppression ability may result in strong competition between relevant and irrelevant memories during retrieval. The present review highlights this issue by examining studies using the directed forgetting method in AD. This method in which participants are typically instructed to forget no longer relevant information is argued to reflect suppression in memory. Studies using the directed forgetting method suggest that AD participants experience difficulties when they are asked to suppress no longer relevant information in working, autobiographical, source and destination memory. Difficulties in suppressing irrelevant information, as may be observed in AD, may hamper memory retrieval by activating irrelevant memories at the expense of relevant ones.
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Metadata
Title
Memory suppression in Alzheimer’s disease
Author
Mohamad El Haj
Publication date
01-03-2016
Publisher
Springer Milan
Published in
Neurological Sciences / Issue 3/2016
Print ISSN: 1590-1874
Electronic ISSN: 1590-3478
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-015-2441-5

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