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A slice of π : An exploratory neuroimaging study of digit encoding and retrieval in a superior memorist 

Authors: Amir Raz abc;  Mark G. Packard d;  Gerianne M. Alexander d;  Jason T. Buhle a;  Hongtu Zhu a;  Shan Yu a; Bradley S. Peterson a
Affiliations:   a MRI Unit in the Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
b Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
c Jewish General Hospital and McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
d Department of Psychology, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX, USA
DOI: 10.1080/13554790902776896
Publication Frequency: 6 issues per year
Published in: journal Neurocase, Volume 15, Issue 5 October 2009 , pages 361 - 372
First Published: October 2009
Formats available: HTML (English) : PDF (English)
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Abstract

Subject PI demonstrated superior memory using a variant of a Method of Loci (MOL) technique to recite the first digits of the mathematical constant π to more than 216 decimal places. We report preliminary behavioral, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and brain volumetric data from PI. fMRI data collected while PI recited the first 540 digits of π (i.e., during retrieval) revealed increased activity in medial frontal gyrus and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Encoding of a novel string of 100 random digits activated motor association areas, midline frontal regions, and visual association areas. Volumetric analyses indicated an increased volume of the right subgenual cingulate, a brain region implicated in emotion, mentalizing, and autonomic arousal. Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI) testing indicated that PI is of average intelligence, and performance on mirror tracing, rotor pursuit, and the Silverman and Eals Location Memory Task revealed normal procedural and implicit memory. PI's performance on the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS-III) revealed average general memory abilities (50th percentile), but superior working memory abilities (99th percentile). Surprisingly, PI's visual memory (WMS-III) for neutral faces and common events was remarkably poor (3rd percentile). PI's self-report indicates that imagining affective situations and high emotional content is critical for successful recall. We speculate that PI's reduced memory for neutral/non-emotional faces and common events, and the observed increase in volume of the right subgenual cingulate, may be related to extensive practice with memorizing highly emotional material.
Keywords: Memory; fMRI; Mnemonics; Method of loci; Brain; Emotion
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