Bern (Switzerland): The cerebellum too, in addition to the cerebrum, in the brain has an important role to play in remembering emotional experiences, a Swiss study says. The cerebellum of the human brain is already known to be associated with regulation of movement. However, the researchers at the University of Basel, Switzerland, have found it to play an important role in memory formation and storage also.
The researchers showed 1,418 participants emotional and neutral images and recorded their brain activity using magnetic resonance imaging. In a memory test conducted later, the positive and negative images were remembered by the participants much better than the neutral images, a statement said. Both positive and negative emotional experiences are stored particularly well in memory. This phenomenon is important for survival since people need to remember dangerous situations in order to avoid them in the future.
The improved storage of emotional images was linked with an increase in brain activity in the areas of the cerebrum that are already known to play a part. 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. Emotions activate the amygdala, which in turn facilitates the storage of information in various areas of the cerebrum.
However, the team also identified increased activity in the cerebellum. The researchers were 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 receives information from the cingulate gyrus a region of the brain that is important in the perception and evaluation of feelings.