Sperling et al (2001)

Uses: Neurotransmission / fMRI (imaging techniques)

 

Aim:

To investigate the effect of scopolamine and lorazepam on brain activity and a face/name association memory task.

or

To investigate pharmacologically induced memory impairment using fMRI and a face-name association task.

Method: Experiment

PROCEDURE:

  1. Four scans were completed for the subjects (10 healthy males). Each scan is 2 weeks apart. There are 2 placebo scans, one lorazepam and one scopolamine.

  2. The IV is the drug or placebo they are injected with. The DV is the activation of the region of interest (the relevant part of the brain) and their performance on the memory test.

Lorazepam is an agonist of GABA (inhibitory). This means it will suppress more.

 

Scopolamine is an antagonist of Acetylcholine (excitatory). This means it will excite less.

RESULTS:

  • No changes were found in the placebo groups, both lorazepam and scopolamine created a significant decrease in the activation in the hippocampus. Both conditions impacted memories. There was a significant correlation in how they performed in the memory task and how much their hippocampus was fired.

 

CONCLUSIONS:

  • Acetylcholine must play a role in memory because if we use drugs that impact acetylcholine and Gaba it results in a significant reduction in the activation of the hippocampus and there is a significant correlation in memory performance and activation of the hippocampus.

EVALUATION:

  • Sampling bias (only men)

  • Potentially difference in spatial memory between genders.

  • Double placebo, neglects any impact resulted from simply getting an injection, also allows double blind

  • Double blind, experimenter does not have bias, and the subject wouldn't be affected by the group they are placed in.

  • Repeated measure, It cancels out individual characteristics.

  • Counter balancing, neglects improvement and boredom.

  • Can not directly observe the impact on neurotransmission.

  • Still be participant's variation memory

Sperling, R. A., Bates, J. F., Cocchiarella, A. J., Schacter, D. L., Rosen, B. R., & Albert, M. S. (2001). Encoding novel face-name associations: a functional MRI study. Human brain mapping, 14(3), 129–139. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.1047