Impaired event memory and recollection in a case of developmental amnesia

Abstract

A current debate in the literature is whether all declarative memories and associated memory processes rely on the same neural substrate. Here, we show that H.C., a developmental amnesic person with selective bilateral hippocampal volume loss, has a mild deficit in personal episodic memory, and a more pronounced deficit in public event memory; semantic memory for personal and general knowledge was unimpaired. This was accompanied by a subtle difference in impairment between recollection and familiarity on lab-based tests of recognition memory. Strikingly, H.C.'s recognition did not benefit from a levels-of-processing manipulation. Thus, not all types of declarative memory and related processes can exist independently of the hippocampus even if it is damaged early in life.

Keywords:

• Developmental amnesia
• Episodic memory
• Public event memory
• Semantic learning
• Levels of processing

Acknowledgments

We thank H.C. and her family for their participation and support. We also thank N. Hill and N. Kumar for assistance with scoring and analysis of the Autobiographical and Public Events Interviews, and F. Craik for useful discussion. This research was supported by Canadian Institutes of Health Research grant (MOP 93535) and a New Investigator Award to R.S.R.