Destination memory disorders: At the junction between memory and socioaffective processing.

Abstract

The junction between memory dysfunction and socioaffective dysfunction is a complex area as research has typically been interested in one dysfunction rather than in the other. However, this junction can be studied under the lens of destination memory. Destination memory (i.e. the ability to remember to whom a piece of information was previously transmitted) is unique in that it draws on both memory and socioaffective processes. Research has demonstrated how destination memory is prone to distortions in neurological/psychiatric disorders. This paper aims to provide a focused review on the interplay between memory and socioaffective processes in the deterioration of destination memory within these disorders. It shows how both episodic memory and socioaffective dysfunction can jointly contribute to the decline in destination memory, although the contribution of each of the two factors may vary depending on the disorder.