Conduction velocity along a key white matter tract is associated with autobiographical memory recall ability

TY - JOUR

T1 - Conduction velocity along a key white matter tract is associated with autobiographical memory recall ability

AU - Clark, Ian A

AU - Mohammadi, Siawoosh

AU - Callaghan, Martina F

AU - Maguire, Eleanor A

N1 - © 2022, Clark et al.

PY - 2022/9/27

Y1 - 2022/9/27

N2 - Conduction velocity is the speed at which electrical signals travel along axons and is a crucial determinant of neural communication. Inferences about conduction velocity can now be made in vivo in humans using a measure called the magnetic resonance (MR) g-ratio. This is the ratio of the inner axon diameter relative to that of the axon plus the myelin sheath that encases it. Here, in the first application to cognition, we found that variations in MR g-ratio, and by inference conduction velocity, of the parahippocampal cingulum bundle were associated with autobiographical memory recall ability in 217 healthy adults. This tract connects the hippocampus with a range of other brain areas. We further observed that the association seemed to be with inner axon diameter rather than myelin content. The extent to which neurites were coherently organised within the parahippocampal cingulum bundle was also linked with autobiographical memory recall ability. Moreover, these findings were specific to autobiographical memory recall and were not apparent for laboratory-based memory tests. Our results offer a new perspective on individual differences in autobiographical memory recall ability, highlighting the possible influence of specific white matter microstructure features on conduction velocity when recalling detailed memories of real-life past experiences.

AB - Conduction velocity is the speed at which electrical signals travel along axons and is a crucial determinant of neural communication. Inferences about conduction velocity can now be made in vivo in humans using a measure called the magnetic resonance (MR) g-ratio. This is the ratio of the inner axon diameter relative to that of the axon plus the myelin sheath that encases it. Here, in the first application to cognition, we found that variations in MR g-ratio, and by inference conduction velocity, of the parahippocampal cingulum bundle were associated with autobiographical memory recall ability in 217 healthy adults. This tract connects the hippocampus with a range of other brain areas. We further observed that the association seemed to be with inner axon diameter rather than myelin content. The extent to which neurites were coherently organised within the parahippocampal cingulum bundle was also linked with autobiographical memory recall ability. Moreover, these findings were specific to autobiographical memory recall and were not apparent for laboratory-based memory tests. Our results offer a new perspective on individual differences in autobiographical memory recall ability, highlighting the possible influence of specific white matter microstructure features on conduction velocity when recalling detailed memories of real-life past experiences.

KW - Adult

KW - Brain

KW - Humans

KW - Magnetic Resonance Imaging

KW - Memory, Episodic

KW - Mental Recall

KW - White Matter/diagnostic imaging

U2 - 10.7554/eLife.79303

DO - 10.7554/eLife.79303

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 36166372

VL - 11

JO - ELIFE

JF - ELIFE

SN - 2050-084X

M1 - e79303

ER -