Hippocampal subfield contributions to episodic memory loss in amnesia
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Hippocampal subfield contributions to episodic memory loss in amnesia.
IRAS ID
306709
Contact name
Thomas Miller
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
UCLH/UCL Joint Research Office
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2022/01/62, UCL Data Protection Number
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 10 months, 9 days
Research summary
The hippocampus is a brain structure that is important for helping us to recall our past experiences, which are known as episodic or autobiographical memories. Research in non-humans has generated several computational theories about how hippocampal damage might lead to episodic memory loss. It is not completely clear, however, whether these theories have relevance for human memory. Damage involving solely the two human hippocampi is rare, making research into these theories challenging. In previous work, we have shown that leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1-limbic encephalitis (LGI1-LE) results in focal bilateral hippocampal damage that is accompanied by lost or degraded episodic memories. In the proposed study, we will recruit patients after treatment for this condition who are neurologically stable. We will translate what is known from animal research into the assessment of these patients using behavioural memory tests and structural and functional magnetic resonance brain imaging (MRI) at 3 Tesla. Specifically, this will include cognitive tasks involving simple stimuli such as pictures of objects and scenes, short movie clips, and also participants’ own autobiographical memories. The outputs of this research will help us to understand how focal bilateral lesions of the hippocampus impact its function, and how such damage affects hippocampal interactions with other brain regions that are also known to be involved in episodic memory, such as the retrosplenial cortex and the medial prefrontal cortex. Overall, this work could deliver novel paradigms for detecting hippocampal dysfunction that may have possible applications in the future for the early detection of progressive pathologies involving the hippocampus, such as dementia.
REC name
North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/NW/0088
Date of REC Opinion
12 Apr 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion