TY - JOUR

T1 - The Effect of Glucose Administration on the Emotional Enhancement Effect in Recognition Memory

AU - Brandt, Karen R.

AU - Sünram-Lea, Sandra I.

AU - Qualtrough, Kirsty

N1 - The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Biological Psychology 73 (2), 2006, © ELSEVIER.

PY - 2006/8

Y1 - 2006/8

N2 - Previous research has demonstrated that glucose administration improves memory performance. However few studies have addressed the effects of glucose on emotional material that by nature already enjoys a memory advantage. The aim of the present research was therefore to investigate whether the memory facilitation effect associated with glucose would emerge for emotional words. Experiment 1 demonstrated that negative words were better recognized and remembered than positive and neutral words. Experiment 2 further explored these effects under conditions of glucose administration and an aspartame control. The results revealed that both the aspartame and glucose groups replicated the results from Experiment 1. The present research therefore demonstrated that the glucose facilitation effect did not emerge for material that already benefits from a memory advantage. These results also raise the question of whether the dose response relationship previously associated with glucose administration is applicable when the information being processed is of an emotional nature.

AB - Previous research has demonstrated that glucose administration improves memory performance. However few studies have addressed the effects of glucose on emotional material that by nature already enjoys a memory advantage. The aim of the present research was therefore to investigate whether the memory facilitation effect associated with glucose would emerge for emotional words. Experiment 1 demonstrated that negative words were better recognized and remembered than positive and neutral words. Experiment 2 further explored these effects under conditions of glucose administration and an aspartame control. The results revealed that both the aspartame and glucose groups replicated the results from Experiment 1. The present research therefore demonstrated that the glucose facilitation effect did not emerge for material that already benefits from a memory advantage. These results also raise the question of whether the dose response relationship previously associated with glucose administration is applicable when the information being processed is of an emotional nature.

KW - Glucose administration

KW - Recognition memory

KW - Emotional enhancement effect

KW - Subjective experiences

U2 - 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2006.04.001

DO - 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2006.04.001

M3 - Journal article

VL - 73

SP - 199

EP - 208

JO - Biological Psychology

JF - Biological Psychology

SN - 0301-0511

IS - 2

ER -