Access Type
Open Access Thesis
Date of Award
January 2023
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Noa Ofen
Abstract
Episodic memory facilitates the ability to encode and retrieve information. This is especially important when considering special populations, such as children born prematurely, who are at high risk of developing deficits in episodic memory. Utilizing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the current study aimed to examine differences between activations of neural correlates (MTL, PFC) of episodic memory compared to activations in a control region, the primary visual cortex (BA17) in children born full-term and preterm. More specifically, differences during memory encoding and subsequent memory effects (SMEs) were investigated. The MTL, PFC, and BA17 regions showed encoding activation while participants were engaged in a memory task. SMEs were seen in children born full-term and preterm in both MTL and PFC; although, no evidence for differences between groups in neural correlates supporting SMEs was indicated. When examining the association between SMEs and memory performance, MTL and PFC activation were significant predictors of memory performance in this sample of young, full-term and preterm children after accounting for socioeconomic status. Overall, results supported extant literature indicating spared episodic memory functioning in children born prematurely and extended new insight into neural correlates of memory formation in a sample of young children born full-term and preterm.
Recommended Citation
Lee, Christina, "Neural Correlates Of Memory Formation Of Young Children In A Term And Preterm Born Sample" (2023). Wayne State University Theses. 914.
https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_theses/914