Exploring the recognition memory deficit in Parkinson's disease: estimates of recollection versus familiarity

Current theories postulate that recognition memory can be supported by two independent processes: recollection (i.e. vivid memory for an item and the contextual details surrounding it) versus familiarity (i.e. the mere sense that an item is old). There is conflicting evidence on whether recognition memory is impaired in Parkinson's disease, perhaps because few studies have separated recollection from familiarity. We aimed to explore whether recollection or familiarity is more likely to be affected by Parkinson's disease, using three methods: (i) the word-frequency mirror effect to make inferences about recollection and familiarity based on recognition of high- versus low-frequency words, (ii) subjective estimates of recollection (remembering) versus familiarity (knowing), and (iii) a process-dissociation procedure where participants are required to endorse only some of the previously studied items on a recognition memory test, but not others. We tested Parkinson's disease patients (n = 19 and n = 16, age range = 58-77 years and age range = 50-75 in Experiments 1 and 2, respectively) and age- and education-matched controls (n = 23 and n = 16 in Experiments 1 and 2, respectively). Overall, the Parkinson's disease group showed a reduction in recognition memory, but this appeared to be primarily due to impairment of familiarity, with a lesser decline in recollection. We discuss how this pattern may be related to dysfunction of striatal, prefrontal and/or medial temporal regions in Parkinson's disease.