Neural studies of autobiographical memory

The two chapters in this part address the neural basis of autobiographical memory. The chapter by Moscovitch discusses how neuropsychological studies of autobiographical memory have informed our broader understanding of how memories are retained at the neural level across large time intervals. In making his arguments, Moscovitch provides a historical review of neuropsychological studies on autobiographical memory in brain-damaged patients as well as a review of more recent brain-imaging studies. The chapter by St. Jacques reviews the rapidly growing field of functional neuroimaging studies of autobiographical memory, and discusses how such studies have informed behavioral research of autobiographical memory as well as their broader relevance to the understanding of the neural basis of memory.