The researchers were also able to demonstrate that the cerebellum shows stronger communication with various areas of the cerebrum during the process of enhanced storage of the emotional images. The cerebellum in communication with the cerebrum However, the team also identified increased activity in the cerebellum. The improved storage of emotional images was linked with an increase in brain activity in the areas of the cerebrum already known to play a part. In a memory test conducted later, the positive and negative images were remembered by the participants much better than the neutral images. In a large-scale study, the researchers showed 1,418 participants emotional and neutral images and recorded the subjects’ brain activity using magnetic resonance imaging. The current research, led by Professor Dominique de Quervain and Professor Andreas Papassotiropoulos at the University of Basel, investigates the role of the cerebellum in storing emotional experiences. Previous studies have shown that a brain structure called the amygdala, which is important in the processing of emotions, plays a central role in this phenomenon.Įmotions activate the amygdala, which in turn facilitates the storage of information in various areas of the cerebrum. This phenomenon is important to our survival, since we need to remember dangerous situations in order to avoid them in the future. Researchers at the University of Basel have now discovered that the cerebellum also plays an important role in remembering emotional experiences.īoth positive and negative emotional experiences are stored particularly well in memory.

The cerebellum is known primarily for the regulation of movement.

Summary: The cerebellum plays a key role in the storage of both positive and negative memories of emotional events.

What is encoding in psychology