My name is David E. Warren and I’m a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. I study memory and brain networks by combining neuropsychological and neuroimaging methods.
Functional neuroimaging studies have identified many different brain regions as potential hubs, but does damage to “hubs” alter cognition?
The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) participates in schematic memory processes, and damage to vmPFC can reduce false memory.
Hippocampus is critical for remembering arbitrarily related pieces of information, and hippocampal damage causes amnesia.
The same brain regions that support memory also contribute to our ongoing cognition and behavior in unexpected ways.
Amnesia slows or stops most learning, but novel teaching methods may allow memory-impaired patients to learn new words rapidly.
Eye movements change with healthy aging, but neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's may cause unique changes allowing early detection.