What is a memory system? Horel's critique revisited.

J.A. Horel's critique of what he termed "the hippocampal memory hypothesis" turns out, 23 years later, to have been remarkably discerning and prophetic. There is now an overwhelming weight of evidence to confirm his four key proposals: that selective destruction of the hippocampus or...

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Main Author: Gaffan, D
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2001
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author Gaffan, D
author_facet Gaffan, D
author_sort Gaffan, D
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description J.A. Horel's critique of what he termed "the hippocampal memory hypothesis" turns out, 23 years later, to have been remarkably discerning and prophetic. There is now an overwhelming weight of evidence to confirm his four key proposals: that selective destruction of the hippocampus or fornix does not produce dense global amnesia; that the effects of hippocampal or fornix lesions are not primarily a memory impairment, but an impairment in processing spatial information; that damage to the anterior temporal stem is part of the explanation of dense temporal lobe amnesia; and that the interaction of temporal cortex with prefrontal cortex is essential in memory. This review summarizes the modern evidence that reinforces each of these four proposals. A final section argues that, not only in the case of the hippocampus but also in the case of other temporal and frontal cortical areas that are involved in normal memory, the concept of a "memory system" is harmful.
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spelling oxford-uuid:99e0df0a-9137-4332-ade5-8e58e19254392022-03-27T00:17:23ZWhat is a memory system? Horel's critique revisited.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:99e0df0a-9137-4332-ade5-8e58e1925439EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2001Gaffan, DJ.A. Horel's critique of what he termed "the hippocampal memory hypothesis" turns out, 23 years later, to have been remarkably discerning and prophetic. There is now an overwhelming weight of evidence to confirm his four key proposals: that selective destruction of the hippocampus or fornix does not produce dense global amnesia; that the effects of hippocampal or fornix lesions are not primarily a memory impairment, but an impairment in processing spatial information; that damage to the anterior temporal stem is part of the explanation of dense temporal lobe amnesia; and that the interaction of temporal cortex with prefrontal cortex is essential in memory. This review summarizes the modern evidence that reinforces each of these four proposals. A final section argues that, not only in the case of the hippocampus but also in the case of other temporal and frontal cortical areas that are involved in normal memory, the concept of a "memory system" is harmful.
spellingShingle Gaffan, D
What is a memory system? Horel's critique revisited.
title What is a memory system? Horel's critique revisited.
title_full What is a memory system? Horel's critique revisited.
title_fullStr What is a memory system? Horel's critique revisited.
title_full_unstemmed What is a memory system? Horel's critique revisited.
title_short What is a memory system? Horel's critique revisited.
title_sort what is a memory system horel s critique revisited
work_keys_str_mv AT gaffand whatisamemorysystemhorelscritiquerevisited