Abstract
The medial temporal lobe (MTL) is the core neural construction related to associative memory. This study sought to explore the dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) between the subdivisions of MTL and other regions in the whole brain. Additionally, it sought to determine relationships between connectivity stability and associative memory function, to elucidate the neural foundation of associative memory from the perspectives of dFC. A Wechsler Memory Scale China revised edition (WMS-RC) measurement and a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging were conducted to clarify adults’ function of associative memory and dFC patterns in subdivisions of the MTL. A multiple regression analysis was carried out to analyze the relationships described above. The results demonstrated that (i) connectivity in the left brain included the anterior hippocampus (aHIP) and right fusiform (Fusiform_R), middle hippocampus (mHIP) and right inferior parietal lobule (IPL_R), posterior hippocampus (pHIP) and left inferior parietal lobule (IPL_L), perirhinal cortex (PRC) and left supramarginal gyrus (SMG_L), entorhinal cortex (ERC) and [left middle temporal gyrus (MTG_L), left superior parietal lobule (SPL_L), right fusiform (Fusiform_R)], anterior parahippocampal cortex (aPHC) and right precentral gyrus (PCG_R); (ii) connectivity in the right brain included the aHIP and right supramarginal gyrus (SMG_R), mHIP and left paracentral lobule (PCL_L), pHIP and left superior occipital gyrus (SOG_L), PRC and left middle occipital gyrus (MOG_L), ERC and right middle occipital gyrus (MOG_R); (iii) for most connectivity patterns, the more stable the dFC, the better are the associative memory functions. This study elucidates the neural foundations of associative memory in terms of dFC patterns.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the participants of this study and the support received from the Department of MR, Shanxi Provincial People’s Hospital.
Funding
This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China [2016YFC1307004] and the National Natural Science Foundation of China [81571319]. Multidisciplinary Team for Cognitive Impairment of Shanxi Science and Technology Innovation Training Team and Support Program of the Youth Sanjin Scholars [201705D131027].
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Zhang, J., Zhang, Y., Pan, Y. et al. The neural foundation of associative memory: a dynamic functional connectivity study for right-handed young adults. Exp Brain Res 239, 3527–3536 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-021-06222-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-021-06222-5