Memory and motivational/emotional processes

Book excerpt: It is well established that memory for emotional information is generally better than for neutral information. This Research Topic comprises a set of papers focusing on memory and its relation with motivational and emotional processes, ranging from electroencephalographic evidences of emotional modulation of memory systems, to the role of neurotransmitters/neuromodulators (i.e. endocannabinoid, glucocorticoid, serotonin, noradrenergic, dopaminergic systems), and second messengers on emotional memory, and the specific involvement of cerebral areas on the relation between memory and motivational/emotional processes (i.e. prefrontal cortex, amygdala, accumbens). In particular, some of the topics discussed in this Research Topic will include: cortical activity correlates of emotional modulation of memory systems, interactions between ascending vagal fibers and central noradrenergic systems in modulating memory for emotionally arousing events, involvement of prefrontal /accumbal catecholamine system in processing emotional and motivational salience, role of both negative and positive emotional arousal in increasing persistence of consolidated memories through modulation of second messengers and the involvement of emotional arousal in the activation of amygdala projections, that can then modulate different types of memory.