Cholinergic mechanisms of episodic memory: what specific behavioural tasks can tell us about specific neural mechanisms.

Understanding the neural basis of episodic memory is crucial for understanding how to treat memory loss in normal ageing as well as in disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. However, it is only recently that episodic memory has been able to be reliably modelled in animals allowing the biological basis to be fully explored. Here we review studies on the role of the cholinergic basal forebrain on episodic memory, and highlight differences in findings from studies in monkeys and rats. The results highlight the importance of choosing appropriate behavioural models of cognitive processes in order to understand the neural basis of the processes accurately. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Alexander Easton, Madeline J Eacott. Cholinergic mechanisms of episodic memory: what specific behavioural tasks can tell us about specific neural mechanisms. Brain research bulletin. 2013 Mar;92:21-8

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PMID: 21968024

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