Individual differences in gist and detail recall of slideshows are predicted by anterior and posterior hippocampus volumes

Poster Session E - Monday, April 15, 2024, 2:30 – 4:30 pm EDT, Sheraton Hall ABC

Tristan De Cotiis¹ (22dxjw@queensu.ca), Jordan Poppenk¹; ¹Queen's University

How can individual differences in witness’ brains affect their testimony? 66 participants viewed twelve slideshows with neutral or negative valence, then completed free recall for their contents. We rated participants’ responses for production of correct gist and detail information, and evaluated the onset timing of the information. This information was submitted to analysis with non-rotated PLS, alongside information about brain volumes. One significant LV was obtained, revealing that earlier and better retrieval of gist was associated with larger hippocampal head, hippocampal body and amygdala volumes; whereas earlier retrieval of detail was associated with greater hippocampal tail volumes. These findings align with the predictions of models of hippocampal function that emphasize a scale gradient on the structure’s long axis, and provide a naturalistic, non-spatial example of how large and detailed spatial scale on this axis may translate to ‘gist’ and ‘detail’ representations in the hippocampus. Further, the findings raise the possibility that brain morphology could influence the type of information witnesses best remember.

Topic Area: LONG-TERM MEMORY: Episodic