# Mechanisms of Amygdala-Mediated Memory Enhancement in Humans

> **NIH NIH R01** · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $316,239

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
 Direct electrical stimulation (DES) of the basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA) can improve
declarative memory, reflecting the role of the BLA in modulating memory processes in medial temporal lobe
(MTL) regions as a function of emotional arousal. Thus, DES can reveal mechanisms of BLA-mediated memory
enhancement relevant to human mental health and disease. DES of the BLA can be used to interrogate the
function of memory circuits, especially how neuronal oscillations in the MTL support declarative memory. First,
BLA is hypothesized to wield the capacity to prioritize long-term retention of information initially encountered
adjacent in time. Second, the BLA preferentially projects to anterior MTL regions and thus is hypothesized to
preferentially modulate memory processes in those anatomic regions, processes thought to support memory for
non-spatial items more so than memory for spatial locations. Third, although emotional arousal, amygdala
activity, MTL activity, and memory performance are typically correlated, we hypothesize that DES will reveal that
BLA outputs to other MTL regions cause improved memory performance by directly eliciting pro-memory
oscillatory states in those networks. The expected outcomes represent a significant advancement for the basic
science of normal memory function and significant movement towards novel therapeutics designed to emulate
endogenous mechanisms of memory enhancement.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10909157
- **Project number:** 5R01MH120194-06
- **Recipient organization:** WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Jon Timothy Willie
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $316,239
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-09-08 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10909157

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10909157, Mechanisms of Amygdala-Mediated Memory Enhancement in Humans (5R01MH120194-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10909157. Licensed CC0.

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