The reminiscence bump corresponds to a marked increase in
autobiographical memories of events that occurred when normal people were
aged 10 to 30 years, a critical period for the formation of identity. The
reminiscence bump was studied in 27 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia
and 27 control participants. They were asked to recall 20 specific
autobiographical events that had occurred during their lifetime and to
indicate the subjective states of awareness associated with the recalled
memories using the Remember/Know procedure. Finally, participants were
asked to state whether recalled memories related to private or public
events. Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia recalled less specific
memories than controls and exhibited an earlier reminiscence bump. They
recalled more public, and less private events than controls, and they gave
fewer Remember responses. The reminiscence bump peaked in the 16 to
25-year period for patients and the 21 to 25-year period for controls.
These findings indicate that patients diagnosed with schizophrenia exhibit
an early and abnormal reminiscence bump, with an impairment of conscious
recollection associated with memories highly relevant to personal
identity. They suggest that schizophrenia is associated with an impairment
of autobiographical memories of events that had occurred during the last
stage of personal identity development (JINS, 2007, 13,
335–343.)