PSYC 217 / BIOL 217: Behavioral Neuroscience (HC) Spring 2025

Provide a novel synthesis of the literature you find; i.e. incorporate a new angle, a fresh perspective, or a missing connection in the field; avoid simply summarizing articles, one by one

Reflect:

• What gaps in knowledge around your topic did you notice when you were searching?
• Was there something you thought you should be able to find but couldn't?
• Where is there agreement? Where is there conflict?
  What are the strengths and weaknesses of the studies that have been done?

Look at article’s conclusion:

Does it state weaknesses of the study?
Does it propose potential areas for future research?

Your research question might change a bit or become more refined at this point!

Example:

Gentsch, A.; Kuehn, E. Clinical Manifestations of Body Memories: The Impact of Past Bodily Experiences on Mental Health. Brain Sci. 2022, 12, 594. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12050594

"[The insula] still remains a largely understudied brain region in the context of memory research and body memory in particular." (pg. 15)

"...more research is needed to understand the role of emotional modulation and emotional memory for the development of [Clinical Body Memories]. There is, for example, evidence that the amygdala differently encodes recognition memory of objects that were encoded under social stress versus more neutral social interactions." (pg. 15)

The authors also hypothesize ways in which the information provided could be used practically in psychotherapy. For example, "Because patients with depressive symptoms also sometimes show sensory memory impairments, such as reduced pattern separation abilities, one may expect that sensory memory training, where participants learn to more effectively use bodily experience for decision making and bodily control, may also be an effective way to target dysfunctional body memories in some cases." (pg. 16)

Remember, the research question I started with last time was:
How can body memories from infancy can affect behavior later in life?

You may need to make some of your own connections.

I had a hard time finding anything scholarly on "body memories". 

But...I could find plenty of research on ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences). This type of trauma can impact certain areas of the brain which may contribute to certain behaviors later in life.

What if the ACE occurred in infancy? Might it stand to reason that there would be no element of imagery to the memory, and that it might be considered body memory?

If so, I could potentially connect literature about ACEs, their effects on the brain, and impact on behavior.

*It might not be wrapped up neatly in one article!

• • The thinking around your topic may have evolved over time; what changes have you noticed? 
  • Could look at timeline of articles published on your topic (Pubmed does this nicely); what year(s) was your topic popular? Look at articles from that time as well as more recent articles
  • Occasionally articles get retracted due to unintentional or purposeful misrepresentation of research data; do you have most up-to-date information?