Cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying false memories: misinformation, distortion or erroneous configuration?

Antonio G. Lentoor; Antonio G. Lentoor

doi:10.3934/Neuroscience.2023020

AIMS Neuroscience

2023, Volume 10, Issue 3: 255-268. doi: 10.3934/Neuroscience.2023020

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Mini review

Cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying false memories: misinformation, distortion or erroneous configuration?

Antonio G. Lentoor ^,

Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Medicine, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, South Africa

Received: 10 July 2023 Revised: 29 August 2023 Accepted: 04 September 2023 Published: 07 September 2023

Errors can affect our memory, yet even when there are gaps in our recollection of events, memory often serves us fairly well. Memory formation involves at least three different sub-processes, that are regulated by an underlying neural structure. From a cognitive neuropsychological perspective, a complex process of encoding, consolidating, and retrieval is involved in remembering an event, and it might be hindered by one's emotional state, physiological response to the event itself, and misinformation. As a result, it is very likely that one may struggle to remember specifics of what happened which can increase our susceptibility to the formation of false memories. This has major implications for everyday functioning, as in the case when you mistakenly remember you took your pills when you never did, or where errors have led to false accusations about trauma or abuse, and wrongful convictions of crimes. Memories sometimes contain biases and inaccuracies that prevent them from accurately recalling events. The review will provide an updated overview of current research advances on the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying inaccurate, distorted, or false memories.
- true memory,
- false memory,
- neural mechanism,
- mis-remember,
- misinformation,
- erroneous recall,
- hippocampo-neocortical circuits,
- anterior prefrontal cortex,
- dorsolateral prefrontal cortex,
- neuropsychology,
- cognitive neuroscience
Citation: Antonio G. Lentoor. Cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying false memories: misinformation, distortion or erroneous configuration?[J]. AIMS Neuroscience, 2023, 10(3): 255-268. doi: 10.3934/Neuroscience.2023020

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Abstract

Errors can affect our memory, yet even when there are gaps in our recollection of events, memory often serves us fairly well. Memory formation involves at least three different sub-processes, that are regulated by an underlying neural structure. From a cognitive neuropsychological perspective, a complex process of encoding, consolidating, and retrieval is involved in remembering an event, and it might be hindered by one's emotional state, physiological response to the event itself, and misinformation. As a result, it is very likely that one may struggle to remember specifics of what happened which can increase our susceptibility to the formation of false memories. This has major implications for everyday functioning, as in the case when you mistakenly remember you took your pills when you never did, or where errors have led to false accusations about trauma or abuse, and wrongful convictions of crimes. Memories sometimes contain biases and inaccuracies that prevent them from accurately recalling events. The review will provide an updated overview of current research advances on the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying inaccurate, distorted, or false memories.

Abbreviations

fMRI

functional magnetic resonance imaging

iEEG

intracranial electroencephalogram

ACC

anterior cingulate cortex

vmPFC

ventromedial prefrontal cortex

CMS

cortical midline structures

a/dlPFC

anterior/dorsolateral prefrontal cortex

Acknowledgments

A.G Lentoor is a professor of clinical psychology and a recipient of the National Research Foundation Thuthuka Grant, Biological Psychiatry Early-mid career Development Grant and SMU Capacity Development Grant. This work has been submitted as part of a Master in Applied Neuroscience. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7838-2721

Conflict of interest

The author declares no conflict of interest.

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