Why are emotional events remembered better than ordinary ones? · Grey Matter

An arousing event releases adrenaline and cortisol and activates noradrenaline in the basolateral amygdala, which then strengthens the consolidation of the memory in the hippocampus and the cortex.

Why are emotional events remembered better than ordinary ones?

An arousing event releases adrenaline and cortisol and activates noradrenaline in the basolateral amygdala, which then strengthens the consolidation of the memory in the hippocampus and the cortex. McGaugh and colleagues showed that blocking noradrenaline receptors in the amygdala removes the advantage of emotional memories, and that stimulating them after learning enhances ordinary ones. People with damage to both amygdalae remember emotional and neutral stories about equally well. The enhancement helps the gist of the event more than every detail, and vivid memories can still be wrong.