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Autobiographical Memory

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What did you have for breakfast today? What did you have for dinner this day a year ago? If asked these questions, most people would be able to answer the first, but have trouble answering the second accurately. Memory is not perfect, and it does not last forever. However, there are a select few individuals that have an ability to recall specific autobiographical details from across their lifetime, thus answering the second question would not be difficult at all. They are classified as having an ability called highly superior autobiographical memory (HSAM). HSAM is a relatively recent discovery, so there are a lot of questions surrounding the condition. However, researchers have made progress in discovering the nature of HSAM, possible links …show more content…

For instance, the detailed memory of people with HSAM has been described as similar to that of autistic savants. However, their memory is usually due to mnemonics used for memory recall, while HSAM patients do not use these kinds of strategies (Parker, Cahill & McGaugh, 2006). Another difference is that HSAM patients are not ‘‘calendar calculators” like many savants. Some autistics savants are able to determine which day of the week a given date falls on, across centuries. They generally have an interest in reading and memorizing calendars, while people with HSAM do not. For the typical HSAM patient, the range of recallable dates is limited to within one’s own lifetime (LePort et al., 2012). Also, autistic savants stereotypically are socially inept, and prefer to keep to themselves. To contrast, people with HSAM report themselves as friendly and sociable (LePort et al., 2012). However, more research would be needed since the nature of mental disorders is still an elusive …show more content…

The amygdala, which is involved in emotional response, may play a part in social and self-referential processing. The amygdala likely adds emotional, social, and self-relevant information to autobiographical memories (Ally, Hussey & Donahue, 2013). Perhaps then there is hyperactivity in the amygdala system for HSAM patients. In addition, other regions of the brain may be involved in HSAM. 6 out of 9 identified regions have size and shape differences in patients with HSAM compared to patients with normal memory capabilities (LePort et al., 2012). Structural differences could also include increased grey and white matter in other parts of the brain including the hippocampus, which is involved in memory, compared to individuals with regular or poor memory (Palombo et al., 2015). The structure of fibers in white matter may also cause greater efficiency in information transfer between brain regions in individuals with HSAM (Mcgaugh & LaPort, 2014). Plainly, there are some neuroanatomical differences involved in the superior memory individuals with HSAM

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