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Shen B, Nguyen D, Wilson J, Glimcher PW, Louie K. Origins of noise in both improving and degrading decision making. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.26.586597. [PMID: 38915616 PMCID: PMC11195060 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.26.586597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Noise is a fundamental problem for information processing in neural systems. In decision-making, noise is thought to cause stochastic errors in choice. However, little is known about how noise arising from different sources may contribute differently to value coding and choice behaviors. Here, we examine how noise arising early versus late in the decision process differentially impacts context-dependent choice behavior. We find in model simulations that under early noise, contextual information enhances choice accuracy, while under late noise, context degrades choice accuracy. Furthermore, we verify these opposing predictions in experimental human choice behavior. Manipulating early and late noise - by inducing uncertainty in option values and controlling time pressure - produces dissociable positive and negative context effects. These findings reconcile controversial experimental findings in the literature, suggesting a unified mechanism for context-dependent choice. More broadly, these findings highlight how different sources of noise can interact with neural computations to differentially modulate behavior. Significance The current study addresses the role of noise origin in decision-making, reconciling controversies around how decision-making is impacted by context. We demonstrate that different types of noise - either arising early during evaluation or late during option comparison - leads to distinct results: with early noise, context enhances choice accuracy, while with late noise, context impairs it. Understanding these dynamics offers potential strategies for improving decision-making in noisy environments and refining existing neural computation models. Overall, our findings advance our understanding of how neural systems handle noise in essential cognitive tasks, suggest a beneficial role for contextual modulation under certain conditions, and highlight the profound implications of noise structure in decision-making.
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2
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Tompary A, Davachi L. Integration of overlapping sequences emerges with consolidation through medial prefrontal cortex neural ensembles and hippocampal-cortical connectivity. eLife 2024; 13:e84359. [PMID: 39545928 PMCID: PMC11567667 DOI: 10.7554/elife.84359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2024] [Indexed: 11/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Systems consolidation theories propose two mechanisms that enable the behavioral integration of related memories: coordinated reactivation between hippocampus and cortex, and the emergence of cortical traces that reflect overlap across memories. However, there is limited empirical evidence that links these mechanisms to the emergence of behavioral integration over time. In two experiments, participants implicitly encoded sequences of objects with overlapping structure. Assessment of behavioral integration showed that response times during a recognition task reflected behavioral priming between objects that never occurred together in time but belonged to overlapping sequences. This priming was consolidation-dependent and only emerged for sequences learned 24 hr prior to the test. Critically, behavioral integration was related to changes in neural pattern similarity in the medial prefrontal cortex and increases in post-learning rest connectivity between the posterior hippocampus and lateral occipital cortex. These findings suggest that memories with a shared predictive structure become behaviorally integrated through a consolidation-related restructuring of the learned sequences, providing insight into the relationship between different consolidation mechanisms that support behavioral integration.
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3
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Broschard MB, Turner BM, Tranel D, Freeman JH. Dissociable Roles of the Dorsolateral and Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex in Human Categorization. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e2343232024. [PMID: 38997159 PMCID: PMC11340282 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2343-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Models of human categorization predict the prefrontal cortex (PFC) serves a central role in category learning. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) have been implicated in categorization; however, it is unclear whether both are critical for categorization and whether they support unique functions. We administered three categorization tasks to patients with PFC lesions (mean age, 69.6 years; 5 men, 5 women) to examine how the prefrontal subregions contribute to categorization. These included a rule-based (RB) task that was solved via a unidimensional rule, an information integration (II) task that was solved by combining information from two stimulus dimensions, and a deterministic/probabilistic (DP) task with stimulus features that had varying amounts of category-predictive information. Compared with healthy comparison participants, both patient groups had impaired performance. Impairments in the dlPFC patients were largest during the RB task, whereas impairments in the vmPFC patients were largest during the DP task. A hierarchical model was fit to the participants' data to assess learning deficits in the patient groups. PFC damage was correlated with a regularization term that limited updates to attention after each trial. Our results suggest that the PFC, as a whole, is important for learning to orient attention to relevant stimulus information. The dlPFC may be especially important for rule-based learning, whereas the vmPFC may be important for focusing attention on deterministic (highly diagnostic) features and ignoring less predictive features. These results support overarching functions of the dlPFC in executive functioning and the vmPFC in value-based decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew B Broschard
- The Picower Institute of Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242
| | - Brandon M Turner
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
| | - Daniel Tranel
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242
- Department of Neurology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242
| | - John H Freeman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242
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4
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Duken SB, Neumayer F, Dzinalija N, Kindt M, van Ast VA, Visser RM. Can neutral episodic memories become emotional? Evidence from facial expressions and subjective feelings. Behav Res Ther 2024; 177:104528. [PMID: 38593572 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2024.104528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Maladaptive emotional memories are a transdiagnostic feature of mental health problems. Therefore, understanding whether and how emotional memories can change might help to prevent and treat mental disorders. We tested whether neutral memories of naturalistic events can retroactively acquire positive or negative affect, in a preregistered three-day Modification of Valence in Episodes (MOVIE) paradigm. On Day 1, participants (N = 41) encoded memories of neutral movie scenes, representing lifelike naturalistic experiences. On Day 2, they retrieved each episode before viewing a happy, sad, or neutral scene from the same movie (yielding a within-subjects design with a neutral-negative, neutral-positive, and neutral-neutral condition). On Day 3, participants again retrieved each memory from Day 1. We assessed the affective tone of episodes through facial expressions of positive and negative affect (using facial electromyography, fEMG) and through self-reported feelings. Positive updating of neutral episodes led to increased expressions of positive affect, whereas negative updating led to increased self-reported negative feelings. These results suggest that complex neutral episodic memories can retroactively acquire an affective tone, but the effects were modest and inconsistent across affect readouts. Future research should investigate alternative approaches to updating emotional memories that produce more profound changes in the valence of memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sascha B Duken
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Franziska Neumayer
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nadza Dzinalija
- Department of Medical Humanities, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Merel Kindt
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Vanessa A van Ast
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Renée M Visser
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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5
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Mildner JN, Tamir DI. Why do we think? The dynamics of spontaneous thought reveal its functions. PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgae230. [PMID: 38939015 PMCID: PMC11210302 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Spontaneous thought-mind wandering, daydreaming, and creative ideation-makes up most of everyday cognition. Is this idle thought, or does it serve an adaptive function? We test two hypotheses about the functions of spontaneous thought: First, spontaneous thought improves memory efficiency. Under this hypothesis, spontaneous thought should prioritize detailed, vivid episodic simulations. Second, spontaneous thought helps us achieve our goals. Under this hypothesis, spontaneous thought should prioritize content relevant to ongoing goal pursuits, or current concerns. We use natural language processing and machine learning to quantify the dynamics of thought in a large sample (N = 3,359) of think aloud data. Results suggest that spontaneous thought both supports memory optimization and keeps us focused on current concerns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith N Mildner
- Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Diana I Tamir
- Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
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6
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Qu C, Huang Y, Philippe R, Cai S, Derrington E, Moisan F, Shi M, Dreher JC. Transcranial direct current stimulation suggests a causal role of the medial prefrontal cortex in learning social hierarchy. Commun Biol 2024; 7:304. [PMID: 38461216 PMCID: PMC10924847 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05976-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Social hierarchies can be inferred through observational learning of social relationships between individuals. Yet, little is known about the causal role of specific brain regions in learning hierarchies. Here, using transcranial direct current stimulation, we show a causal role of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in learning social versus non-social hierarchies. In a Training phase, participants acquired knowledge about social and non-social hierarchies by trial and error. During a Test phase, they were presented with two items from hierarchies that were never encountered together, requiring them to make transitive inferences. Anodal stimulation over mPFC impaired social compared with non-social hierarchy learning, and this modulation was influenced by the relative social rank of the members (higher or lower status). Anodal stimulation also impaired transitive inference making, but only during early blocks before learning was established. Together, these findings demonstrate a causal role of the mPFC in learning social ranks by observation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Qu
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yulong Huang
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Rémi Philippe
- Laboratory of Neuroeconomics, Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, CNRS, Lyon, France
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Shenggang Cai
- School of Economics and Management, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
- Key Lab for Behavioral Economic Science & Technology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Edmund Derrington
- Laboratory of Neuroeconomics, Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, CNRS, Lyon, France
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | | | - Mengke Shi
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jean-Claude Dreher
- Laboratory of Neuroeconomics, Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, CNRS, Lyon, France.
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France.
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Mack ML, Love BC, Preston AR. Distinct hippocampal mechanisms support concept formation and updating. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.14.580181. [PMID: 38405893 PMCID: PMC10888746 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.14.580181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Learning systems must constantly decide whether to create new representations or update existing ones. For example, a child learning that a bat is a mammal and not a bird would be best served by creating a new representation, whereas updating may be best when encountering a second similar bat. Characterizing the neural dynamics that underlie these complementary memory operations requires identifying the exact moments when each operation occurs. We address this challenge by interrogating fMRI brain activation with a computational learning model that predicts trial-by-trial when memories are created versus updated. We found distinct neural engagement in anterior hippocampus and ventral striatum for model-predicted memory create and update events during early learning. Notably, the degree of this effect in hippocampus, but not ventral striatum, significantly related to learning outcome. Hippocampus additionally showed distinct patterns of functional coactivation with ventromedial prefrontal cortex and angular gyrus during memory creation and premotor cortex during memory updating. These findings suggest that complementary memory functions, as formalized in computational learning models, underlie the rapid formation of novel conceptual knowledge, with the hippocampus and its interactions with frontoparietal circuits playing a crucial role in successful learning. Significance statement How do we reconcile new experiences with existing knowledge? Prominent theories suggest that novel information is either captured by creating new memories or leveraged to update existing memories, yet empirical support of how these distinct memory operations unfold during learning is limited. Here, we combine computational modeling of human learning behaviour with functional neuroimaging to identify moments of memory formation and updating and characterize their neural signatures. We find that both hippocampus and ventral striatum are distinctly engaged when memories are created versus updated; however, it is only hippocampus activation that is associated with learning outcomes. Our findings motivate a key theoretical revision that positions hippocampus is a key player in building organized memories from the earliest moments of learning.
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8
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Marlatte H, Belchev Z, Fraser M, Gilboa A. The effect of hippocampal subfield damage on rapid temporal integration through statistical learning and associative inference. Neuropsychologia 2024; 193:108755. [PMID: 38092332 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The hippocampus (HPC) supports integration of information across time, often indexed by associative inference (AI) and statistical learning (SL) tasks. In AI, an indirect association between stimuli that never appeared together is inferred, whereas SL involves learning item relationships by extracting regularities across experiences. A recent model of hippocampal function (Schapiro et al., 2017) proposes that the HPC can support temporal integration in both paradigms through its two distinct pathways. METHODS We tested this models' predictions in four patients with varying degrees of bilateral HPC damage and matched healthy controls, with two patients with complementary damage to either the monosynaptic or trisynaptic pathway. During AI, participants studied overlapping paired associates (AB, BC) and their memory was tested for premise pairs (AB) and for inferred pairs (AC). During SL, participants passively viewed a continuous picture sequence that contained an underlying structure of triplets that later had to be recognized. RESULTS Binomial distributions were used to calculate above chance performance at the individual level. For AI, patients with focal HPC damage were impaired at inference but could correctly infer pairs above chance once premise pair acquisition was equated to controls; however, the patient with HPC and cortical damage showed severe impairment at recalling premise and inferred pairs, regardless of accounting for premise pair performance. For SL, none of the patients performed above chance, but notably neither did most controls. CONCLUSIONS Associative inference of indirect relationships can be intact with HPC damage to either hippocampal pathways or the HPC more broadly, provided premise pairs can first be formed. Inference may remain intact through residual HPC tissue supporting premise pair acquisition, and/or through extra-hippocampal structures supporting inference at retrieval. Clear conclusions about hippocampal contributions to SL are precluded by low performance in controls, which we caution is not dissimilar to previous amnesic studies using the same task. This complicates interpretations of studies claiming necessity of hippocampal contributions to SL and warrants the use of a common and reliable task before conclusions can be drawn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Marlatte
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, 3560 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, M6A 2E1, Canada; University of Toronto, Department of Psychology, 100 St George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3, Canada.
| | - Zorry Belchev
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, 3560 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, M6A 2E1, Canada
| | - Madison Fraser
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, 3560 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, M6A 2E1, Canada
| | - Asaf Gilboa
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, 3560 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, M6A 2E1, Canada; University of Toronto, Department of Psychology, 100 St George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3, Canada
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9
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Barnett AJ, Nguyen M, Spargo J, Yadav R, Cohn-Sheehy BI, Ranganath C. Hippocampal-cortical interactions during event boundaries support retention of complex narrative events. Neuron 2024; 112:319-330.e7. [PMID: 37944517 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
According to most memory theories, encoding involves continuous communication between the hippocampus and neocortex, but recent work has shown that key moments at the end of an event, called event boundaries, may be especially critical for memory formation. We sought to determine how communication between the hippocampus and neocortical regions during the encoding of naturalistic events related to subsequent retrieval of those events and whether this was particularly important at event boundaries. Participants encoded and recalled two cartoon movies during fMRI scanning. Higher functional connectivity between the hippocampus and the posterior medial network (PMN) at an event's offset is related to the subsequent successful recall of that event. Furthermore, hippocampal-PMN offset connectivity also predicted the amount of detail retrieved after a 2-day delay. These data demonstrate that the relationship between memory encoding and hippocampal-neocortical interaction is dynamic and biased toward boundaries.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mitchell Nguyen
- University of California, Davis, Center for Neuroscience, Davis, CA, USA
| | - James Spargo
- University of California, Davis, Department of Psychology, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Reesha Yadav
- University of California, Davis, Department of Psychology, Davis, CA, USA
| | | | - Charan Ranganath
- University of California, Davis, Center for Neuroscience, Davis, CA, USA; University of California, Davis, Department of Psychology, Davis, CA, USA
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10
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Vijayarajah S, Schlichting ML. Anterior Hippocampal Engagement during Memory Formation Predicts Subsequent False Recognition of Similar Experiences. J Cogn Neurosci 2023; 35:1716-1740. [PMID: 37677052 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
People better remember experiences when they orient to meaning over surface-level perceptual features. Such an orientation-related memory boost has been associated with engagement of both hippocampus (HPC) and neocortex during encoding. However, less is known about the neural mechanisms by which a cognitive orientation toward meaning might also promote memory errors, with one open question being whether the HPC-a region traditionally implicated in precise memory formation-also contributes to behavioral imprecision. We used fMRI to characterize encoding-phase signatures as people oriented toward the meaning (story) versus perceptual style (artist) of storybook-style illustrations and then linked them to subsequent true and false memories. We found that story and artist orientation tasks were each associated with both unique univariate profiles and consistent neural states defined using multivoxel patterns. Linking these neural signatures to behavior, we found that greater medial pFC activation and alignment of neural patterns to the story (but not artist) state was related to subsequent memory success on a trial-by-trial basis. Moreover, among successfully remembered experiences, greater anterior HPC engagement at encoding was associated with a higher likelihood of related false recognitions, consistent with the encoding of broad traces in this region. Interestingly, these effects did not reliably vary by cued orientation. These results suggest that, irrespective of the cued encoding orientation, neocortical and hippocampal mechanisms associated with orienting to meaning (story) over perceptual (artist) features may support memory, with the formation of generalizable memories being a specialty of anterior HPC.
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11
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Leshinskaya A, Nguyen MA, Ranganath C. Integration of event experiences to build relational knowledge in the human brain. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:9997-10012. [PMID: 37492008 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
We investigated how the human brain integrates experiences of specific events to build general knowledge about typical event structure. We examined an episodic memory area important for temporal relations, anterior-lateral entorhinal cortex, and a semantic memory area important for action concepts, middle temporal gyrus, to understand how and when these areas contribute to these processes. Participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while learning and recalling temporal relations among novel events over two sessions 1 week apart. Across distinct contexts, individual temporal relations among events could either be consistent or inconsistent with each other. Within each context, during the recall phase, we measured associative coding as the difference of multivoxel correlations among related vs unrelated pairs of events. Neural regions that form integrative representations should exhibit stronger associative coding in the consistent than the inconsistent contexts. We found evidence of integrative representations that emerged quickly in anterior-lateral entorhinal cortex (at session 1), and only subsequently in middle temporal gyrus, which showed a significant change across sessions. A complementary pattern of findings was seen with signatures during learning. This suggests that integrative representations are established early in anterior-lateral entorhinal cortex and may be a pathway to the later emergence of semantic knowledge in middle temporal gyrus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Leshinskaya
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, 1544 Newton Court, Davis, CA 95618, USA
| | - Mitchell A Nguyen
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, 1544 Newton Court, Davis, CA 95618, USA
| | - Charan Ranganath
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, 1544 Newton Court, Davis, CA 95618, USA
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12
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Guo D, Chen H, Wang L, Yang J. Effects of prior knowledge on brain activation and functional connectivity during memory retrieval. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13650. [PMID: 37608065 PMCID: PMC10444832 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40966-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) plays an important role in schema-related memory. However, there is an intensive debate to what extent the activation of subregions of the hippocampus is involved in retrieving schema-related memory. In addition, it is unclear how the functional connectivity (FC) between the vmPFC and the hippocampus, as well as the connectivity of the vmPFC with other regions, are modulated by prior knowledge (PK) during memory retrieval over time. To address these issues, participants learned paragraphs that described features of each unfamiliar word from familiar and unfamiliar categories (i.e., high and low PK conditions) 20 min, 1 day, and 1 week before the test. They then performed a recognition task to judge whether the sentences were old in the scanner. The results showed that the activation of the anterior-medial hippocampus (amHPC) cluster was stronger when the old sentences with high (vs. low) PK were correctly retrieved. The activation of the posterior hippocampus (pHPC) cluster, as well as the vmPFC, was stronger when the new sentences with high (vs. low) PK were correctly rejected (i.e., CR trials), whereas the cluster of anterior-lateral hippocampus (alHPC) showed the opposite. The FC of the vmPFC with the amHPC and perirhinal cortex/inferior temporal gyrus was stronger in the high (vs. low) PK condition, whereas the FC of the vmPFC with the alHPC, thalamus and frontal regions showed the opposite for the CR trials. This study highlighted that different brain networks, which were associated with the vmPFC, subregions of the hippocampus and cognitive control regions, were responsible for retrieving the information with high and low PK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dingrong Guo
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Haoyu Chen
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Lingwei Wang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jiongjiong Yang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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13
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Morton NW, Zippi EL, Preston AR. Memory reactivation and suppression modulate integration of the semantic features of related memories in hippocampus. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:9020-9037. [PMID: 37264937 PMCID: PMC10350843 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Encoding an event that overlaps with a previous experience may involve reactivating an existing memory and integrating it with new information or suppressing the existing memory to promote formation of a distinct, new representation. We used fMRI during overlapping event encoding to track reactivation and suppression of individual, related memories. We further used a model of semantic knowledge based on Wikipedia to quantify both reactivation of semantic knowledge related to a previous event and formation of integrated memories containing semantic features of both events. Representational similarity analysis revealed that reactivation of semantic knowledge related to a prior event in posterior medial prefrontal cortex (pmPFC) supported memory integration during new learning. Moreover, anterior hippocampus (aHPC) formed integrated representations combining the semantic features of overlapping events. We further found evidence that aHPC integration may be modulated on a trial-by-trial basis by interactions between ventrolateral PFC and anterior mPFC, with suppression of item-specific memory representations in anterior mPFC inhibiting hippocampal integration. These results suggest that PFC-mediated control processes determine the availability of specific relevant memories during new learning, thus impacting hippocampal memory integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neal W Morton
- Center for Learning and Memory, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Ellen L Zippi
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 95064, United States
| | - Alison R Preston
- Center for Learning and Memory, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
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14
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Tomás DJ, Nascimento Alves P, Vânia Silva-Nunes M. Spatial orientation: A relationship with inferential memory. Brain Cogn 2023; 170:106059. [PMID: 37392702 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2023.106059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
Two branches of the scientific literature have dominated our understanding of hippocampal function. One focuses on the support this structure offers to declarative memory, while the other views the hippocampus as a part of a system dedicated to spatial navigation. These two different visions can be reconciled in relational theory, which suggests that the hippocampus processes all kinds of associations and sequences of events. According to this, processing would be similar to a route calculation based on associations of spatial information acquired during navigation and the associative relationship established between memories without spatial content. In this paper, we present a behavioral study of healthy individuals to explore the performance of inferential memory tasks and spatial orientation tasks in a virtual environment. Inferential memory and spatial orientation task performances were positively correlated. However, after controlling for a non-inferential memory task, only the correlation between allocentric spatial orientation and inferential memory remained significant. These results provide support for the similarity between the two cognitive functions, lending credence to the relational theory of the hippocampus. Additionally, our behavioral findings are in line with the cognitive map theory, which suggests a potential association between the hippocampus and allocentric spatial representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo João Tomás
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa - Institute of Health Sciences - Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Health, Lisbon, Portugal; Escola Superior de Saúde Atlântica, Barcarena, Portugal.
| | - Pedro Nascimento Alves
- Laboratório de Estudos de Linguagem, Centro de Estudos Egas Moniz, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal; Serviço de Neurologia, Hospital de Santa Maria, Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Maria Vânia Silva-Nunes
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa - Institute of Health Sciences - Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Health, Lisbon, Portugal
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15
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Guo D, Chen G, Yang J. Effects of schema on the relationship between post-encoding brain connectivity and subsequent durable memory. Sci Rep 2023; 13:8736. [PMID: 37253795 PMCID: PMC10229577 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34822-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Schemas can facilitate memory consolidation. Studies have suggested that interactions between the hippocampus and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) are important for schema-related memory consolidation. However, in humans, how schema accelerates the consolidation of new information and relates to durable memory remains unclear. To address these knowledge gaps, we used a human analogue of the rodent spatial schema task and resting-state fMRI to investigate how post-encoding brain networks can predict long-term memory performance in different schema conditions. After participants were trained to obtain schema-consistent or schema-inconsistent object-location associations, they learned new object-location associations. The new associations were tested after the post-encoding rest in the scanner and 24 h later outside the scanner. The Bayesian multilevel modelling was applied to analyse the post-encoding brain networks. The results showed that during the post-encoding, stronger vmPFC- anterior hippocampal connectivity was associated with durable memory in the schema-consistent condition, whereas stronger object-selective lateral occipital cortex (LOC)-ventromedial prefrontal connectivity and weaker connectivity inside the default mode network were associated with durable memory in the schema inconsistent condition. In addition, stronger LOC-anterior hippocampal connectivity was associated with memory in both schema conditions. These results shed light on how schemas reconfigure early brain networks, especially the prefrontal-hippocampal and stimuli-relevant cortical networks and influence long-term memory performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dingrong Guo
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behaviour and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Gang Chen
- Scientific and Statistical Computing Core, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jiongjiong Yang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behaviour and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, People's Republic of China.
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16
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Sweatman H, Lewis-de los Angeles CP, Zhang J, de los Angeles C, Ofen N, Gabrieli JDE, Chai XJ. Development of the neural correlates of recollection. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:6028-6037. [PMID: 36520501 PMCID: PMC10183736 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Recollection of past events has been associated with the core recollection network comprising the posterior medial temporal lobe and parietal regions, as well as the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). The development of the brain basis for recollection is understudied. In a sample of adults (n = 22; 18-25 years) and children (n = 23; 9-13 years), the present study aimed to address this knowledge gap using a cued recall paradigm, known to elicit recollection experience. Successful recall was associated with activations in regions of the core recollection network and frontoparietal network. Adults exhibited greater successful recall activations compared with children in the precuneus and right angular gyrus. In contrast, similar levels of successful recall activations were observed in both age groups in the mPFC. Group differences were also seen in the hippocampus and lateral frontal regions. These findings suggest that the engagement of the mPFC in episodic retrieval may be relatively early maturing, whereas the contribution to episodic retrieval of more posterior regions such as the precuneus and angular gyrus undergoes more protracted maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilary Sweatman
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 3801 Rue University, Montréal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - C Paula Lewis-de los Angeles
- Department of Pediatrics, Hasbro Children’s Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, 593 Eddy St, Providence, RI 02903, United States
| | - Jiahe Zhang
- Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Carlo de los Angeles
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
| | - Noa Ofen
- Department of Psychology and the Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, 87 East Ferry Street, Detroit, MI 48202, United States
| | - John D E Gabrieli
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 524 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 45 Carleton Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, United States
| | - Xiaoqian J Chai
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 3801 Rue University, Montréal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
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17
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Wang L, Yang J. Learning from errors: Distinct neural networks for monitoring errors and maintaining corrects through repeated practice and feedback. Neuroimage 2023; 271:120001. [PMID: 36878457 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
How memory representations are eventually established and maintained in the brain is one of central issues in memory research. Although the hippocampus and various brain regions have been shown to be involved in learning and memory, how they coordinate to support successful memory through errors is unclear. In this study, a retrieval practice (RP) - feedback (FB) paradigm was adopted to address this issue. Fifty-six participants (27 in the behavioral group, and 29 in the fMRI group) learned 120 Swahili-Chinese words associations and underwent two RP-answer FB cycles (i.e., RP1, FB1, RP2, FB2). The responses of the fMRI group were recorded in the fMRI scanner. The trials were divided based on participant's performance (correct or incorrect, C or I) during the two RPs and the final test (i.e., trial type, CCC, ICC, IIC III). The results showed that the regions in the salience and executive control networks (S-ECN) during RP, but not during FB, was strongly predictive of final successful memory. Their activation was just before the errors were corrected (i.e., RP1 in ICC trials and RP2 in IIC trials). The anterior insula (AI) is a core region in monitoring repeated errors, and it had differential connectivity with the default mode network (DMN) regions and the hippocampus during the RP and FB phases to inhibit incorrect answers and update memory. In contrast, maintaining corrected memory representation requires repeated RP and FB, which was associated with the DMN activation. Our study clarified how different brain regions support error monitoring and memory maintenance through repeated RP and FB, and emphasized the role of the insula in learning from errors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingwei Wang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jiongjiong Yang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
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18
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Roüast NM, Schönauer M. Continuously changing memories: a framework for proactive and non-linear consolidation. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:8-19. [PMID: 36428193 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2022.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The traditional view of long-term memory is that memory traces mature in a predetermined 'linear' process: their neural substrate shifts from rapidly plastic medial temporal regions towards stable neocortical networks. We propose that memories remain malleable, not by repeated reinstantiations of this linear process but instead via dynamic routes of proactive and non-linear consolidation: memories change, their trajectory is flexible and reversible, and their physical basis develops continuously according to anticipated demands. Studies demonstrating memory updating, increasing hippocampal dependence to support adaptive use, and rapid neocortical plasticity provide evidence for continued non-linear consolidation. Although anticipated demand can affect all stages of memory formation, the extent to which it shapes the physical memory trace repeatedly and proactively will require further dedicated research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Malika Roüast
- Institute for Psychology, Neuropsychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Monika Schönauer
- Institute for Psychology, Neuropsychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
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19
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Folvik L, Sneve MH, Ness HT, Vidal-Piñeiro D, Raud L, Geier OM, Walhovd KB, Fjell AM. Sustained upregulation of widespread hippocampal-neocortical coupling following memory encoding. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:4844-4858. [PMID: 36190442 PMCID: PMC10110434 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Systems consolidation of new experiences into lasting episodic memories involves hippocampal-neocortical interactions. Evidence of this process is already observed during early post-encoding rest periods, both as increased hippocampal coupling with task-relevant perceptual regions and reactivation of stimulus-specific patterns following intensive encoding tasks. We investigate the spatial and temporal characteristics of these hippocampally anchored post-encoding neocortical modulations. Eighty-nine adults participated in an experiment consisting of interleaved memory task- and resting-state periods. We observed increased post-encoding functional connectivity between hippocampus and individually localized neocortical regions responsive to stimuli encountered during memory encoding. Post-encoding modulations were manifested as a nearly system-wide upregulation in hippocampal coupling with all major functional networks. The configuration of these extensive modulations resembled hippocampal-neocortical interaction patterns estimated from active encoding operations, suggesting hippocampal post-encoding involvement exceeds perceptual aspects. Reinstatement of encoding patterns was not observed in resting-state scans collected 12 h later, nor when using other candidate seed regions. The similarity in hippocampal functional coupling between online memory encoding and offline post-encoding rest suggests reactivation in humans involves a spectrum of cognitive processes engaged during the experience of an event. There were no age effects, suggesting that upregulation of hippocampal-neocortical connectivity represents a general phenomenon seen across the adult lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Line Folvik
- Department of Psychology, Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, University of Oslo, Forskningsveien 3A, 0373 Oslo, Norway
| | - Markus H Sneve
- Department of Psychology, Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, University of Oslo, Forskningsveien 3A, 0373 Oslo, Norway
| | - Hedda T Ness
- Department of Psychology, Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, University of Oslo, Forskningsveien 3A, 0373 Oslo, Norway
| | - Didac Vidal-Piñeiro
- Department of Psychology, Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, University of Oslo, Forskningsveien 3A, 0373 Oslo, Norway
| | - Liisa Raud
- Department of Psychology, Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, University of Oslo, Forskningsveien 3A, 0373 Oslo, Norway
| | - Oliver M Geier
- Department of Diagnostic Physics, Oslo University Hospital, Postbox 4950 Nydalen, OUS, Rikshospitalet, 0424 Oslo, Norway
| | - Kristine B Walhovd
- Department of Psychology, Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, University of Oslo, Forskningsveien 3A, 0373 Oslo, Norway.,Division of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Postbox 4950 Nydalen, OUS, Rikshospitalet, 0424 Oslo, Norway
| | - Anders M Fjell
- Department of Psychology, Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, University of Oslo, Forskningsveien 3A, 0373 Oslo, Norway.,Division of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Postbox 4950 Nydalen, OUS, Rikshospitalet, 0424 Oslo, Norway
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20
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Audrain S, McAndrews MP. Schemas provide a scaffold for neocortical integration of new memories over time. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5795. [PMID: 36184668 PMCID: PMC9527246 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33517-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Memory transformation is increasingly acknowledged in theoretical accounts of systems consolidation, yet how memory quality and neural representation change over time and how schemas influence this process remains unclear. We examined the behavioral quality and neural representation of schema-congruent and incongruent object-scene pairs retrieved across 10-minutes and 72-hours using fMRI. When a congruent schema was available, memory became coarser over time, aided by post-encoding coupling between the anterior hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Only schema-congruent representations were integrated in the mPFC over time, and were organized according to schematic context. In the hippocampus, pattern similarity changed across 72-hours such that the posterior hippocampus represented specific details and the anterior hippocampus represented the general context of specific memories, irrespective of congruency. Our findings suggest schemas are used as a scaffold to facilitate neocortical integration of congruent information, and illustrate evolution in hippocampal organization of detailed contextual memory over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Audrain
- Division of Clinical and Computational Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5T 2S8, Canada.
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3, Canada.
| | - Mary Pat McAndrews
- Division of Clinical and Computational Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5T 2S8, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3, Canada
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21
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Shing N, Walker MC, Chang P. The Role of Aberrant Neural Oscillations in the Hippocampal-Medial Prefrontal Cortex Circuit in Neurodevelopmental and Neurological Disorders. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2022; 195:107683. [PMID: 36174886 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2022.107683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The hippocampus (HPC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) have well-established roles in cognition, emotion, and sensory processing. In recent years, interests have shifted towards developing a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying interactions between the HPC and mPFC in achieving these functions. Considerable research supports the idea that synchronized activity between the HPC and the mPFC is a general mechanism by which brain functions are regulated. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on the hippocampal-medial prefrontal cortex (HPC-mPFC) circuit in normal brain function with a focus on oscillations and highlight several neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders associated with aberrant HPC-mPFC circuitry. We further discuss oscillatory dynamics across the HPC-mPFC circuit as potentially useful biomarkers to assess interventions for neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders. Finally, advancements in brain stimulation, gene therapy and pharmacotherapy are explored as promising therapies for disorders with aberrant HPC-mPFC circuit dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathanael Shing
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK; Department of Medicine, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, PR17BH, UK
| | - Matthew C Walker
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Pishan Chang
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT.
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22
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Yu LQ, Dana J, Kable JW. Individuals with ventromedial frontal damage display unstable but transitive preferences during decision making. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4758. [PMID: 35963856 PMCID: PMC9376076 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32511-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The ventromedial frontal lobe (VMF) is important for decision-making, but the precise causal role of the VMF in the decision process has not been fully established. Previous studies have suggested that individuals with VMF damage violate transitivity, a hallmark axiom of rational decisions. However, these prior studies cannot properly distinguish whether individuals with VMF damage are truly prone to choosing irrationally from whether their preferences are simply more variable. We had individuals with focal VMF damage, individuals with other frontal damage, and healthy controls make repeated choices across three categories-artworks, chocolate bar brands, and gambles. Using proper tests of transitivity, we find that, in our study, individuals with VMF damage make rational decisions consistent with transitive preferences, even though they exhibit greater variability in their preferences. That is, the VMF is necessary for having strong and reliable preferences, but not for being a rational decision maker. VMF damage affects the variability with which value is assessed, but not the consistency with which value is sought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Q Yu
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
| | - Jason Dana
- Yale School of Management, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Joseph W Kable
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
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23
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Zhang X, Qiu Y, Li J, Jia C, Liao J, Chen K, Qiu L, Yuan Z, Huang R. Neural correlates of transitive inference: An SDM meta-analysis on 32 fMRI studies. Neuroimage 2022; 258:119354. [PMID: 35659997 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Transitive inference (TI) is a critical capacity involving the integration of relevant information into prior knowledge structure for drawing novel inferences on unobserved relationships. To date, the neural correlates of TI remain unclear due to the small sample size and heterogeneity of various experimental tasks from individual studies. Here, the meta-analysis on 32 fMRI studies was performed to detect brain activation patterns of TI and its three paradigms (spatial inference, hierarchical inference, and associative inference). We found the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex (PFC), putamen, posterior parietal cortex (PPC), retrosplenial cortex (RSC), supplementary motor area (SMA), precentral gyrus (PreCG), and median cingulate cortex (MCC) were engaged in TI. Specifically, the RSC was implicated in the associative inference, whereas PPC, SMA, PreCG, and MCC were implicated in the hierarchical inference. In addition, the hierarchical inference and associative inference both evoked activation in the hippocampus, medial PFC, and PCC. Although the meta-analysis on spatial inference did not generate a reliable result due to insufficient amount of investigations, the present work still offers a new insight for better understanding the neural basis underlying TI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoying Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education; School of Psychology; Center for Studies of Psychological Application; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China
| | - Yidan Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education; School of Psychology; Center for Studies of Psychological Application; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China
| | - Jinhui Li
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education; School of Psychology; Center for Studies of Psychological Application; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China
| | - Chuchu Jia
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education; School of Psychology; Center for Studies of Psychological Application; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiajun Liao
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education; School of Psychology; Center for Studies of Psychological Application; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China
| | - Kemeng Chen
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education; School of Psychology; Center for Studies of Psychological Application; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China
| | - Lixin Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education; School of Psychology; Center for Studies of Psychological Application; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhen Yuan
- Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China.
| | - Ruiwang Huang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education; School of Psychology; Center for Studies of Psychological Application; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China.
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24
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Masís-Obando R, Norman KA, Baldassano C. Schema representations in distinct brain networks support narrative memory during encoding and retrieval. eLife 2022; 11:e70445. [PMID: 35393941 PMCID: PMC8993217 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Schematic prior knowledge can scaffold the construction of event memories during perception and also provide structured cues to guide memory search during retrieval. We measured the activation of story-specific and schematic representations using fMRI while participants were presented with 16 stories and then recalled each of the narratives, and related these activations to memory for specific story details. We predicted that schema representations in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) would be correlated with successful recall of story details. In keeping with this prediction, an anterior mPFC region showed a significant correlation between activation of schema representations at encoding and subsequent behavioral recall performance; however, this mPFC region was not implicated in schema representation during retrieval. More generally, our analyses revealed largely distinct brain networks at encoding and retrieval in which schema activation was related to successful recall. These results provide new insight into when and where event knowledge can support narrative memory.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kenneth A Norman
- Princeton Neuroscience InstitutePrincetonUnited States
- Department of Psychology, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
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25
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Developmental differences in memory reactivation relate to encoding and inference in the human brain. Nat Hum Behav 2022; 6:415-428. [PMID: 34782728 PMCID: PMC8973118 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-021-01206-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Despite the fact that children can draw on their memories to make novel inferences, it is unknown whether they do so through the same neural mechanisms as adults. We measured memory reinstatement as participants aged 7-30 years learned new, related information. While adults brought memories to mind throughout learning, adolescents did so only transiently, and children not at all. Analysis of trial-wise variability in reactivation showed that discrepant neural mechanisms-and in particular, what we interpret as suppression of interfering memories during learning in early adolescence-are nevertheless beneficial for later inference at each developmental stage. These results suggest that while adults build integrated memories well-suited to informing inference directly, children and adolescents instead must rely on separate memories to be individually referenced at the time of inference decisions.
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26
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Zamani A, Carhart-Harris R, Christoff K. Prefrontal contributions to the stability and variability of thought and conscious experience. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:329-348. [PMID: 34545195 PMCID: PMC8616944 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01147-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The human prefrontal cortex is a structurally and functionally heterogenous brain region, including multiple subregions that have been linked to different large-scale brain networks. It contributes to a broad range of mental phenomena, from goal-directed thought and executive functions to mind-wandering and psychedelic experience. Here we review what is known about the functions of different prefrontal subregions and their affiliations with large-scale brain networks to examine how they may differentially contribute to the diversity of mental phenomena associated with prefrontal function. An important dimension that distinguishes across different kinds of conscious experience is the stability or variability of mental states across time. This dimension is a central feature of two recently introduced theoretical frameworks-the dynamic framework of thought (DFT) and the relaxed beliefs under psychedelics (REBUS) model-that treat neurocognitive dynamics as central to understanding and distinguishing between different mental phenomena. Here, we bring these two frameworks together to provide a synthesis of how prefrontal subregions may differentially contribute to the stability and variability of thought and conscious experience. We close by considering future directions for this work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andre Zamani
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Robin Carhart-Harris
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Kalina Christoff
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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27
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Broschard MB, Kim J, Love BC, Wasserman EA, Freeman JH. Prelimbic cortex maintains attention to category-relevant information and flexibly updates category representations. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 185:107524. [PMID: 34560284 PMCID: PMC8633767 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Category learning groups stimuli according to similarity or function. This involves finding and attending to stimulus features that reliably inform category membership. Although many of the neural mechanisms underlying categorization remain elusive, models of human category learning posit that prefrontal cortex plays a substantial role. Here, we investigated the role of the prelimbic cortex (PL) in rat visual category learning by administering excitotoxic lesions before category training and then evaluating the effects of the lesions with computational modeling. Using a touchscreen apparatus, rats (female and male) learned to categorize distributions of category stimuli that varied along two continuous dimensions. For some rats, categorizing the stimuli encouraged selective attention towards a single stimulus dimension (i.e., 1D tasks). For other rats, categorizing the stimuli required divided attention towards both stimulus dimensions (i.e., 2D tasks). Testing sessions then examined generalization to novel exemplars. PL lesions impaired learning and generalization for the 1D tasks, but not the 2D tasks. Then, a neural network was fit to the behavioral data to examine how the lesions affected categorization. The results suggest that the PL facilitates category learning by maintaining attention to category-relevant information and updating category representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew B Broschard
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
| | - Jangjin Kim
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Bradley C Love
- Department of Experimental Psychology and The Alan Turing Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Edward A Wasserman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - John H Freeman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
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28
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Examining the transition of novel information toward familiarity. Neuropsychologia 2021; 161:107993. [PMID: 34411595 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.107993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 08/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Throughout their lives, humans encounter multiple instances of new information that can be inconsistent with prior knowledge (novel). Over time, the once-novel information becomes integrated into their established knowledge base, shifting from novelty to familiarity. In this study, we investigated the processes by which the first steps of this transition take place. We hypothesized that the neural representations of initially novel items gradually change over the course of repeated presentations, expressing a shift toward familiarity. We further assumed that this shift could be traced by examining neural patterns using fMRI. In two experiments, while being scanned, participants read noun-adjective word pairs that were either consistent or inconsistent with their prior knowledge. Stimuli were repeated 3-6 times within the scans. Employing mass univariate and multivariate similarity analyses, we showed that the neural representations associated with the initial presentation of familiar versus novel objects differed in lateral frontal and temporal regions, the medial prefrontal cortex, and the medial temporal lobe. Importantly, the neural representations of novel stimuli gradually changed throughout repetitions until they became indistinguishable from their respective familiar items. We interpret these findings as indicating that an early phase of familiarization can be completed within a few repetitions. This initial familiarization can then serve as the prerequisite to the integration of novel items into existing knowledge. Future empirical and theoretical works can build on the current findings to develop a comprehensive model of the transition from novelty to familiarity.
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de Sousa AF, Chowdhury A, Silva AJ. Dimensions and mechanisms of memory organization. Neuron 2021; 109:2649-2662. [PMID: 34242564 PMCID: PMC8416710 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Memory formation is dynamic in nature, and acquisition of new information is often influenced by previous experiences. Memories sharing certain attributes are known to interact so that retrieval of one increases the likelihood of retrieving the other, raising the possibility that related memories are organized into associative mnemonic structures of interconnected representations. Although the formation and retrieval of single memories have been studied extensively, very little is known about the brain mechanisms that organize and link related memories. Here we review studies that suggest the existence of mnemonic structures in humans and animal models. These studies suggest three main dimensions of experience that can serve to organize related memories: time, space, and perceptual/conceptual similarities. We propose potential molecular, cellular, and systems mechanisms that might support organization of memories according to these dimensions.
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Affiliation(s)
- André F de Sousa
- Departments of Neurobiology, Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, and Psychology, Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Ananya Chowdhury
- Departments of Neurobiology, Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, and Psychology, Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Alcino J Silva
- Departments of Neurobiology, Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, and Psychology, Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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30
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Taylor JE, Cortese A, Barron HC, Pan X, Sakagami M, Zeithamova D. How do we generalize? NEURONS, BEHAVIOR, DATA ANALYSIS, AND THEORY 2021; 1:001c.27687. [PMID: 36282996 PMCID: PMC7613724 DOI: 10.51628/001c.27687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Humans and animals are able to generalize or transfer information from previous experience so that they can behave appropriately in novel situations. What mechanisms-computations, representations, and neural systems-give rise to this remarkable ability? The members of this Generative Adversarial Collaboration (GAC) come from a range of academic backgrounds but are all interested in uncovering the mechanisms of generalization. We started out this GAC with the aim of arbitrating between two alternative conceptual accounts: (1) generalization stems from integration of multiple experiences into summary representations that reflect generalized knowledge, and (2) generalization is computed on-the-fly using separately stored individual memories. Across the course of this collaboration, we found that-despite using different terminology and techniques, and although some of our specific papers may provide evidence one way or the other-we in fact largely agree that both of these broad accounts (as well as several others) are likely valid. We believe that future research and theoretical synthesis across multiple lines of research is necessary to help determine the degree to which different candidate generalization mechanisms may operate simultaneously, operate on different scales, or be employed under distinct conditions. Here, as the first step, we introduce some of these candidate mechanisms and we discuss the issues currently hindering better synthesis of generalization research. Finally, we introduce some of our own research questions that have arisen over the course of this GAC, that we believe would benefit from future collaborative efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Elizabeth Taylor
- The Department of Decoded Neurofeedback, Computational Neuroscience Laboratories, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Aurelio Cortese
- The Department of Decoded Neurofeedback, Computational Neuroscience Laboratories, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, Japan
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK
| | - Helen C Barron
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, FMRIB, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Xiaochuan Pan
- Institute for Cognitive Neurodynamics, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
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31
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Numan R. The Prefrontal-Hippocampal Comparator: Volition and Episodic Memory. Percept Mot Skills 2021; 128:2421-2447. [PMID: 34424092 DOI: 10.1177/00315125211041341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This review describes recent research that is relevant to the prefrontal-hippocampal comparator model with the following conclusions: 1. Hippocampal area CA1 serves, at least in part, as an associative match-mismatch comparator. 2. Voluntary movement strengthens episodic memories for goal-directed behavior. 3. Hippocampal theta power serves as a prediction error signal during hippocampal dependent tasks. 4. The self-referential component of episodic memory in humans is mediated by the corollary discharge (the efference copy of the action plan developed by prefrontal cortex and transmitted to hippocampus where it is stored as a working memory; CA1 uses this efference copy to compare the expected consequences of action to the actual consequences of action). 5. Impairments in the production or transmission of this corollary discharge may contribute to some of the symptoms of schizophrenia. Unresolved issues and suggestions for future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Numan
- Department of Psychology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California, United States
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32
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Geng F, Xu W, Riggins T. Interactions between the hippocampus and fronto-parietal regions during memory encoding in early childhood. Hippocampus 2021; 32:108-120. [PMID: 34329507 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The neural mechanisms underlying memory encoding have received much attention in the literature. Research in adults and school-age children suggest that the hippocampus and cortical regions in both frontal and parietal areas are involved in successful formation of memories. Overall, the hippocampus has been shown to interact with fronto-parietal regions to collaboratively support successful memory encoding for both individual items as well as item details (such as the source or color in which the item was originally encountered). To date, only one study has investigated neural regions engaged during memory encoding in children younger than 8 years of age, which is unfortunate since early childhood is a period of dramatic improvement in memory. This previous study indicated that both the hippocampus and cortical regions are involved during the encoding of subsequently remembered item details (i.e., sources). However, this study reported few interactions between these regions, and it did not explore item memory at a more general level. To fill these gaps, this article reanalyzed data from the previous report, aiming to examine the neural correlates of item memory during encoding in early childhood (4-8 years) and interactions between the hippocampus and fronto-parietal regions during encoding. Consistent with research in older individuals, both the hippocampus and fronto-parietal regions were found to participate in item memory encoding. Additionally, functional connectivity between hippocampus and fronto-parietal regions was significantly related to both subsequent item memory and subsequent source memory. Taken together, these findings suggest that not only the activation of individual brain regions (hippocampus and fronto-parietal regions) but also the functional connections between these regions are important for memory encoding. These data add to the growing literature providing insight into how the hippocampus and cortical regions interact to support memory during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengji Geng
- Department of Curriculum and Learning Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenwen Xu
- Department of Curriculum and Learning Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Tracy Riggins
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
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33
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Chang CHC, Lazaridi C, Yeshurun Y, Norman KA, Hasson U. Relating the Past with the Present: Information Integration and Segregation during Ongoing Narrative Processing. J Cogn Neurosci 2021; 33:1106-1128. [PMID: 34428791 PMCID: PMC9155984 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
This study examined how the brain dynamically updates event representations by integrating new information over multiple minutes while segregating irrelevant input. A professional writer custom-designed a narrative with two independent storylines, interleaving across minute-long segments (ABAB). In the last (C) part, characters from the two storylines meet and their shared history is revealed. Part C is designed to induce the spontaneous recall of past events, upon the recurrence of narrative motifs from A/B, and to shed new light on them. Our fMRI results showed storyline-specific neural patterns, which were reinstated (i.e., became more active) during storyline transitions. This effect increased along the processing timescale hierarchy, peaking in the default mode network. Similarly, the neural reinstatement of motifs was found during Part C. Furthermore, participants showing stronger motif reinstatement performed better in integrating A/B and C events, demonstrating the role of memory reactivation in information integration over intervening irrelevant events.
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34
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Viganò S, Borghesani V, Piazza M. Symbolic categorization of novel multisensory stimuli in the human brain. Neuroimage 2021; 235:118016. [PMID: 33819609 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
When primates (both human and non-human) learn to categorize simple visual or acoustic stimuli by means of non-verbal matching tasks, two types of changes occur in their brain: early sensory cortices increase the precision with which they encode sensory information, and parietal and lateral prefrontal cortices develop a categorical response to the stimuli. Contrary to non-human animals, however, our species mostly constructs categories using linguistic labels. Moreover, we naturally tend to define categories by means of multiple sensory features of the stimuli. Here we trained adult subjects to parse a novel audiovisual stimulus space into 4 orthogonal categories, by associating each category to a specific symbol. We then used multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) to show that during a cross-format category repetition detection task three neural representational changes were detectable. First, visual and acoustic cortices increased both precision and selectivity to their preferred sensory feature, displaying increased sensory segregation. Second, a frontoparietal network developed a multisensory object-specific response. Third, the right hippocampus and, at least to some extent, the left angular gyrus, developed a shared representational code common to symbols and objects. In particular, the right hippocampus displayed the highest level of abstraction and generalization from a format to the other, and also predicted symbolic categorization performance outside the scanner. Taken together, these results indicate that when humans categorize multisensory objects by means of language the set of changes occurring in the brain only partially overlaps with that described by classical models of non-verbal unisensory categorization in primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Viganò
- Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Italy.
| | | | - Manuela Piazza
- Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Italy
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35
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Vázquez-Hernández N, Martínez-Torres NI, González-Burgos I. Plastic changes to dendritic spines in the cerebellar and prefrontal cortices underlie the decline in motor coordination and working memory during successful aging. Behav Brain Res 2020; 400:113014. [PMID: 33309738 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.113014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Old age is the last stage of life and by taking a multidimensional view of aging, Neuroscientists have been able to characterize pathological or successful aging. Psychomotor and cognitive performance are recognized as two major domains of successful aging, with a loss of motor coordination and working memory deficits two of the most characteristic features of elderly people. Dendritic spines in both the cerebellar and prefrontal cortices diminish in aging, yet the plastic changes in dendritic spines have not been related to behavioral performance neither the changes in the cerebellar or prefrontal cortices. As such, motor coordination and visuospatial working memory (vsWM) was evaluated here in aged, 22-month-old rats, calculating the density of spines and the proportion of the different types of spines. These animals performed erratically and slowly in a motor coordination-related paradigm, and the vsWM was resolved deficiently. Spine density was reduced in aged animals, and the proportional density of each of the spine types studied diminished in both the brain regions studied. The loss of dendritic spines and particularly, the changes in the proportional density of the different spine types could underlie, at least in part, the behavioral deficits observed during aging. To our knowledge, this is the first study of the plastic changes in different dendritic spine types that might underlie the behavioral alterations in motor and cognitive abilities associated with aging. Further neurochemical and molecular studies will help better understand the functional significance of the plastic changes to dendritic spines in both successful and pathological aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Vázquez-Hernández
- División de Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente, IMSS, Guadalajara, Jal, Mexico
| | - N I Martínez-Torres
- División de Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente, IMSS, Guadalajara, Jal, Mexico; Centro Universitario del Norte, Universidad de Guadalajara, Colotlán, Jal, Mexico
| | - I González-Burgos
- División de Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente, IMSS, Guadalajara, Jal, Mexico.
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36
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Theta rhythm supports hippocampus-dependent integrative encoding in schematic/semantic memory networks. Neuroimage 2020; 226:117558. [PMID: 33246130 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Integrating new information into existing schematic/semantic structures of knowledge is the basis of learning in our everyday life as it enables structured representation of information and goal-directed behaviour in an ever-changing environment. However, how schematic/semantic mnemonic structures aid the integration of novel elements remains poorly understood. Here, we showed that the ability to integrate novel picture information into learned structures of picture associations that overlapped by the same picture scene (i.e., simple network) or by a conceptually related picture scene (i.e., schematic/semantic network) is hippocampus-dependent, as patients with lesions at the medial temporal lobe (including the hippocampus) were impaired in inferring novel relations between pictures within these memory networks. We also found more persistent and widespread scalp EEG theta oscillations (3-5 Hz) while participants integrated novel pictures into schematic/semantic memory networks than into simple networks. On the other hand, greater neural similarity was observed between EEG patterns elicited by novel and related events within simple networks than between novel and related events within schematic/semantic memory networks. These findings have important implications for our understanding of the neural mechanisms that support the development and organization of structures of knowledge.
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37
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Kluen LM, Dandolo LC, Jocham G, Schwabe L. Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Enables Updating of Established Memories. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:4154-4168. [PMID: 30535262 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Revised: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Updating established memories in light of new information is fundamental for memory to guide future behavior. However, little is known about the brain mechanisms by which existing memories can be updated. Here, we combined functional magnetic resonance imaging and multivariate representational similarity analysis to elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying the updating of consolidated memories. To this end, participants first learned face-city name pairs. Twenty-four hours later, while lying in the MRI scanner, participants were required to update some of these associations, but not others, and to encode entirely new pairs. Updating success was tested again 24 h later. Our results showed increased activity of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) specifically during the updating of existing associations that was significantly stronger than when simple retrieval or new encoding was required. The updating-related activity of the dlPFC and its functional connectivity with the hippocampus were directly linked to updating success. Furthermore, neural similarity for updated items was markedly higher in the dlPFC and this increase in dlPFC neural similarity distinguished individuals with high updating performance from those with low updating performance. Together, these findings suggest a key role of the dlPFC, presumably in interaction with the hippocampus, in the updating of established memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Marieke Kluen
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lisa Catherine Dandolo
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Gerhard Jocham
- Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Lars Schwabe
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
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38
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Barron HC, Reeve HM, Koolschijn RS, Perestenko PV, Shpektor A, Nili H, Rothaermel R, Campo-Urriza N, O'Reilly JX, Bannerman DM, Behrens TEJ, Dupret D. Neuronal Computation Underlying Inferential Reasoning in Humans and Mice. Cell 2020; 183:228-243.e21. [PMID: 32946810 PMCID: PMC7116148 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.08.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Revised: 05/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Every day we make decisions critical for adaptation and survival. We repeat actions with known consequences. But we also draw on loosely related events to infer and imagine the outcome of entirely novel choices. These inferential decisions are thought to engage a number of brain regions; however, the underlying neuronal computation remains unknown. Here, we use a multi-day cross-species approach in humans and mice to report the functional anatomy and neuronal computation underlying inferential decisions. We show that during successful inference, the mammalian brain uses a hippocampal prospective code to forecast temporally structured learned associations. Moreover, during resting behavior, coactivation of hippocampal cells in sharp-wave/ripples represent inferred relationships that include reward, thereby "joining-the-dots" between events that have not been observed together but lead to profitable outcomes. Computing mnemonic links in this manner may provide an important mechanism to build a cognitive map that stretches beyond direct experience, thus supporting flexible behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen C Barron
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK; Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, FMRIB, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK.
| | - Hayley M Reeve
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK
| | - Renée S Koolschijn
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, FMRIB, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Pavel V Perestenko
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK
| | - Anna Shpektor
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, FMRIB, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Hamed Nili
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, FMRIB, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Roman Rothaermel
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK
| | - Natalia Campo-Urriza
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK
| | - Jill X O'Reilly
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, FMRIB, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK; Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, 15 Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3AQ, UK
| | - David M Bannerman
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, 15 Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3AQ, UK
| | - Timothy E J Behrens
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, FMRIB, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK; The Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - David Dupret
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK.
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39
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Hamm AG, Mattfeld AT. Distinct Neural Circuits Underlie Prospective and Concurrent Memory-Guided Behavior. Cell Rep 2020; 28:2541-2553.e4. [PMID: 31484067 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The past is the best predictor of the future. This simple postulate belies the complex neurobiological mechanisms that facilitate an individual's use of memory to guide decisions. Previous research has shown integration of memories bias decision-making. Alternatively, memories can prospectively guide our choices. Here, we elucidate the mechanisms and timing of hippocampal (HPC), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and striatal contributions during prospective memory-guided decision-making. We develop an associative learning task in which the correct choice is conditional on the preceding stimulus. Two distinct networks emerge: (1) a prospective circuit consisting of the HPC, putamen, mPFC, and other cortical regions, which exhibit increased activation preceding successful conditional decisions and (2) a concurrent circuit comprising the caudate, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), and additional cortical structures that engage during the execution of correct conditional choices. Our findings demonstrate distinct neurobiological circuits through which memory prospectively biases decisions and influences choice execution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda G Hamm
- Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Aaron T Mattfeld
- Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA; Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA.
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40
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Ren J, Huang F, Zhou Y, Zhuang L, Xu J, Gao C, Qin S, Luo J. The function of the hippocampus and middle temporal gyrus in forming new associations and concepts during the processing of novelty and usefulness features in creative designs. Neuroimage 2020; 214:116751. [PMID: 32194284 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Creative thought relies on the reorganization of existing knowledge to generate novel and useful concepts. However, how these new concepts are formed, especially through the processing of novelty and usefulness (which are usually regarded as the key properties of creativity), is not clear. Taking familiar and useful (FU) objects/designs as the starting point or fundamental baseline, we modified them into novel and useless (NS) objects/designs or novel and useful (NU) ones (i.e., truly creative ones) to investigate how the features of novelty and usefulness are processed (processing of novelty: NU minus FU; processing of usefulness: NU minus NS). Specifically, we predicted that the creative integration of novelty and usefulness entails not only the formation of new associations, which could be critically mediated by the hippocampus and adjacent medial temporal lobe (MTL) areas, but also the formation of new concepts or categories, which is supported by the middle temporal gyrus (MTG). We found that both the MTL and the MTG were involved in the processing of novelty and usefulness. The MTG showed distinctive patterns of information processing, reflected by strengthened functional connectivity with the hippocampus to construct new concepts and strengthened functional connectivity with the executive control system to break the boundaries of old concepts. Additionally, participants' subjective evaluations of concept distance showed that the distance between the familiar concept (FU) and the successfully constructed concept (NU) was larger than that between the FU and the unsuccessfully constructed concept (NS), and this pattern was found to correspond to the patterns of their neural representations in the MTG. These findings demonstrate the critical mechanism by which new associations and concepts are formed during novelty and usefulness processing in creative design; this mechanism may be critically mediated by the hippocampus-MTG connection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyuan Ren
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Furong Huang
- School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Ying Zhou
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Liping Zhuang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Faculty of Psychology at Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Jiahua Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Faculty of Psychology at Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Chuanji Gao
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Mind and Brain, University of South Carolina, Columbia, 29201, USA
| | - Shaozheng Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Faculty of Psychology at Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Jing Luo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
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41
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van Kesteren MTR, Rignanese P, Gianferrara PG, Krabbendam L, Meeter M. Congruency and reactivation aid memory integration through reinstatement of prior knowledge. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4776. [PMID: 32179822 PMCID: PMC7075880 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61737-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Building knowledge schemas that organize information and guide future learning is of great importance in everyday life. Such knowledge building is suggested to occur through reinstatement of prior knowledge during new learning, yielding integration of new with old memories supported by the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and medial temporal lobe (MTL). Congruency with prior knowledge is also known to enhance subsequent memory. Yet, how reactivation and congruency interact to optimize memory integration is unknown. To investigate this question, we used an adapted AB-AC inference paradigm in combination with functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). Participants first studied an AB-association followed by an AC-association, so B (a scene) and C (an object) were indirectly linked through A (a pseudoword). BC-associations were either congruent or incongruent with prior knowledge (e.g. bathduck or hammer in a bathroom), and participants reported subjective B-reactivation strength while learning AC. Behaviorally, both congruency and reactivation enhanced memory integration. In the brain, these behavioral effects related to univariate and multivariate parametric effects in the MTL, mPFC, and Parahippocampal Place Area (PPA). Moreover, mPFC exhibited larger PPA-connectivity for more congruent associations. These outcomes provide insights into the neural mechanisms underlying memory enhancement, which has value for educational learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlieke T R van Kesteren
- Section of Education Sciences and LEARN! Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. .,Institute of Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Paul Rignanese
- Unit of Neural Circuits Dynamics and Decision Making, Institut Pasteur, 75724, Paris, France
| | - Pierre G Gianferrara
- Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, 15289, United States
| | - Lydia Krabbendam
- Institute of Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Section of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Martijn Meeter
- Section of Education Sciences and LEARN! Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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42
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Li C, Yang J. Role of the hippocampus in the spacing effect during memory retrieval. Hippocampus 2020; 30:703-714. [PMID: 32022387 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
It is well known that distributed learning (DL) leads to improved memory performance compared with massed learning (ML) (i.e., spacing effect). However, the extent to which the hippocampus is involved in the spacing effect at shorter and longer retention intervals remains unclear. To address this issue, two groups of participants were asked to encode face-scene pairs at 20-min, 1-day, and 1-month intervals before they were scanned using fMRI during an associative recognition task. The pairs were repeated six times in either a massed (i.e., six times in 1 day) or a distributed (i.e., six times over 3 days, twice per day) manner. The results showed that compared with that in the ML group, the activation of the left hippocampus was stronger in the DL group when the participants retrieved old pairs correctly and rejected new pairs correctly at different retention intervals. In addition, the posterior hippocampus was more strongly activated when the new associations were rejected correctly after DL than ML, especially at the 1-month interval. Hence, our results provide evidence that the hippocampus is involved in better memory performance after DL compared to ML at both shorter and longer retention intervals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuihong Li
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiongjiong Yang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
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43
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Pudhiyidath A, Roome HE, Coughlin C, Nguyen KV, Preston AR. Developmental differences in temporal schema acquisition impact reasoning decisions. Cogn Neuropsychol 2020; 37:25-45. [PMID: 31597512 PMCID: PMC7145737 DOI: 10.1080/02643294.2019.1667316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Schemas capture patterns across multiple experiences, accumulating information about common event structures that guide decision making in new contexts. Schemas are an important principle of leading theories of cognitive development; yet, we know little about how children and adolescents form schemas and use schematic knowledge to guide decisions. Here, we show that the ability to acquire schematic knowledge based on the temporal regularities of events increases during childhood and adolescence. Furthermore, we show that temporally mediated schematic knowledge biases reasoning decisions in an age-dependent manner. Participants with greater temporal schematic knowledge were more likely to infer that temporally related items shared other, non-temporal properties, with adults showing the greatest relationship between schema knowledge and reasoning choices. These data indicate that the mechanisms underlying schema formation and expression are not fully developed until adulthood and may reflect the ongoing maturation of hippocampus and prefrontal cortex through adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athula Pudhiyidath
- Center for Learning and Memory, University of Texas at Austin
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin
| | - Hannah E. Roome
- Center for Learning and Memory, University of Texas at Austin
| | | | - Kim V. Nguyen
- Center for Learning and Memory, University of Texas at Austin
| | - Alison R. Preston
- Center for Learning and Memory, University of Texas at Austin
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin
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44
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Ventromedial prefrontal cortex compression during concept learning. Nat Commun 2020; 11:46. [PMID: 31911628 PMCID: PMC6946809 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13930-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Prefrontal cortex (PFC) is thought to support the ability to focus on goal-relevant information by filtering out irrelevant information, a process akin to dimensionality reduction. Here, we test this dimensionality reduction hypothesis by relating a data-driven approach to characterizing the complexity of neural representation with a theoretically-supported computational model of learning. We find evidence of goal-directed dimensionality reduction within human ventromedial PFC during learning. Importantly, by using computational predictions of each participant’s attentional strategies during learning, we find that that the degree of neural compression predicts an individual’s ability to selectively attend to concept-specific information. These findings suggest a domain-general mechanism of learning through compression in ventromedial PFC. Efficient learning is akin to goal-directed dimensionality reduction, in which relevant information is highlighted and irrelevant input is ignored. Here, the authors show that ventromedial prefrontal cortex uniquely supports such learning by compressing neural codes to represent goal-specific information.
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45
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Chu S, Thavabalasingam S, Hamel L, Aashat S, Tay J, Ito R, Lee ACH. Exploring the interaction between approach-avoidance conflict and memory processing. Memory 2019; 28:141-156. [PMID: 31795819 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2019.1696827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The medial temporal lobe (MTL) has been implicated in approach-avoidance (AA) conflict processing, which arises when a stimulus is imbued with both positive and negative valences. Notably, since the MTL has been traditionally viewed as a mnemonic brain region, a pertinent question is how AA conflict and memory processing interact with each other behaviourally. We conducted two behavioural experiments to examine whether increased AA conflict processing has a significant impact on incidental mnemonic encoding and inferential reasoning. In Experiment 1, participants first completed a reward and punishment AA task and were subsequently administered a surprise recognition memory test for stimuli that were presented during high and no AA conflict trials. In Experiment 2, participants completed a reward and punishment task in which they learned the valences of objects presented in pairs (AB, BC pairs). Next, we assessed their ability to integrate information across these pairs (infer A-C relationships) and examined whether inferential reasoning was more challenging across objects with conflicting compared to non-conflicting incentive values. We observed that increased motivational conflict did not significantly impact encoding or inferential reasoning. Potential explanations for these findings are considered, including the possibility that AA conflict and memory processing are not necessarily intertwined behaviourally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Chu
- Department of Psychological Clinical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Laurie Hamel
- Department of Psychology (Scarborough), University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Supreet Aashat
- Department of Psychology (Scarborough), University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jonathan Tay
- Department of Psychology (Scarborough), University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Rutsuko Ito
- Department of Psychological Clinical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychology (Scarborough), University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Andy C H Lee
- Department of Psychological Clinical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychology (Scarborough), University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre, Toronto, Canada
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46
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Raykov PP, Keidel JL, Oakhill J, Bird CM. The brain regions supporting schema-related processing of people’s identities. Cogn Neuropsychol 2019; 37:8-24. [DOI: 10.1080/02643294.2019.1685958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jane Oakhill
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Falmer, UK
| | - Chris M. Bird
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Falmer, UK
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47
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McDonough IM, Letang SK, Erwin HB, Kana RK. Evidence for Maintained Post-Encoding Memory Consolidation Across the Adult Lifespan Revealed by Network Complexity. ENTROPY 2019. [PMCID: PMC7514376 DOI: 10.3390/e21111072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Memory consolidation is well known to occur during sleep, but might start immediately after encoding new information while awake. While consolidation processes are important across the lifespan, they may be even more important to maintain memory functioning in old age. We tested whether a novel measure of information processing known as network complexity might be sensitive to post-encoding consolidation mechanisms in a sample of young, middle-aged, and older adults. Network complexity was calculated by assessing the irregularity of brain signals within a network over time using multiscale entropy. To capture post-encoding mechanisms, network complexity was estimated using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during rest before and after encoding of picture pairs, and subtracted between the two rest periods. Participants received a five-alternative-choice memory test to assess associative memory performance. Results indicated that aging was associated with an increase in network complexity from pre- to post-encoding in the default mode network (DMN). Increases in network complexity in the DMN also were associated with better subsequent memory across all age groups. These findings suggest that network complexity is sensitive to post-encoding consolidation mechanisms that enhance memory performance. These post-encoding mechanisms may represent a pathway to support memory performance in the face of overall memory declines.
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48
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Zeithamova D, Mack ML, Braunlich K, Davis T, Seger CA, van Kesteren MTR, Wutz A. Brain Mechanisms of Concept Learning. J Neurosci 2019; 39:8259-8266. [PMID: 31619495 PMCID: PMC6794919 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1166-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Concept learning, the ability to extract commonalities and highlight distinctions across a set of related experiences to build organized knowledge, is a critical aspect of cognition. Previous reviews have focused on concept learning research as a means for dissociating multiple brain systems. The current review surveys recent work that uses novel analytical approaches, including the combination of computational modeling with neural measures, focused on testing theories of specific computations and representations that contribute to concept learning. We discuss in detail the roles of the hippocampus, ventromedial prefrontal, lateral prefrontal, and lateral parietal cortices, and how their engagement is modulated by the coherence of experiences and the current learning goals. We conclude that the interaction of multiple brain systems relating to learning, memory, attention, perception, and reward support a flexible concept-learning mechanism that adapts to a range of category structures and incorporates motivational states, making concept learning a fruitful research domain for understanding the neural dynamics underlying complex behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dagmar Zeithamova
- Department of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403,
| | - Michael L Mack
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G3, Canada,
| | - Kurt Braunlich
- Department of Psychology and Program in Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Neurosciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523
| | - Tyler Davis
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79403
| | - Carol A Seger
- Center for the Study of Applied Psychology, Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- Department of Psychology and Program in Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Neurosciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523
| | - Marlieke T R van Kesteren
- Section of Education Sciences and LEARN! Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081 BT, The Netherlands
- Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081 BT, The Netherlands
| | - Andreas Wutz
- The Picower Institute for Learning & Memory and Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria, and
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49
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Scully ID, Hupbach A. Different reactivation procedures enable or prevent episodic memory updating. Hippocampus 2019; 30:806-814. [PMID: 31520566 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The present study asked whether the specific method of reactivation modulates the impact of new learning on reactivated episodic memories. The study consisted of three sessions that were spaced 48 hr apart. It used an ABAC paradigm that allowed for the simultaneous assessment of retroactive interference (RI: reduced A-B recall after A-C learning) and intrusions from C into A-B recall. In Session 1, participants learned a list of paired-associates A-B. In Session 2, memory for A-B was reactivated or not and then participants either learned a second list of paired-associates A-C or completed a control task. Three different reminder conditions were compared to a no-reminder condition: a test condition, in which participants were asked to recall B in response to A, a restudy condition, in which A-B pairs were presented again for study, and a cue-word only reminder condition, in which A cues were presented in an unrelated rating task. In Session 3, recall of A-B was tested. Moderate or indirect reactivation of A-B (presentation of cue-words only) resulted in high RI effects and intrusion rates, whereas strong and direct reactivation (test and restudy) drastically reduced these effects. We suggest that direct reactivation of A-B before A-C learning strengthens memory and draws attention to list differences, thereby enhancing list segregation, and reducing memory updating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iiona D Scully
- Department of Psychology, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
| | - Almut Hupbach
- Department of Psychology, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
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50
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Tambini A, Davachi L. Awake Reactivation of Prior Experiences Consolidates Memories and Biases Cognition. Trends Cogn Sci 2019; 23:876-890. [PMID: 31445780 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2019.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
After experiences are encoded into memory, post-encoding reactivation mechanisms have been proposed to mediate long-term memory stabilization and transformation. Spontaneous reactivation of hippocampal representations, together with hippocampal-cortical interactions, are leading candidate mechanisms for promoting systems-level memory strengthening and reorganization. While the replay of spatial representations has been extensively studied in rodents, here we review recent fMRI work that provides evidence for spontaneous reactivation of nonspatial, episodic event representations in the human hippocampus and cortex, as well as for experience-dependent alterations in systems-level hippocampal connectivity. We focus on reactivation during awake post-encoding periods, relationships between reactivation and subsequent behavior, how reactivation is modulated by factors that influence consolidation, and the implications of persistent reactivation for biasing ongoing perception and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arielle Tambini
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Lila Davachi
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA.
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