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Jainta B, Zahedi A, Schubotz RI. Same Same, But Different: Brain Areas Underlying the Learning from Repetitive Episodic Prediction Errors. J Cogn Neurosci 2024; 36:1847-1863. [PMID: 38940726 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Prediction errors (PEs) function as learning signals. It is yet unclear how varying compared to repetitive PEs affect episodic memory in brain and behavior. The current study investigated cerebral and behavioral effects of experiencing either multiple alternative versions ("varying") or one single alternative version ("repetitive") of a previously encoded episode. Participants encoded a set of episodes ("originals") by watching videos showing toy stories. During scanning, participants either experienced originals, one single, or multiple alternative versions of the previously encoded episodes. Participants' memory performance was tested through recall of original objects. Varying and repetitive PEs revealed typical brain responses to the detection of mismatching information including inferior frontal and posterior parietal regions, as well as hippocampus, which is further linked to memory reactivation, and the amygdala, known for modulating memory consolidation. Furthermore, experiencing varying and repetitive PEs triggered distinct brain areas as revealed by direct contrast. Among others, experiencing varying versions triggered activity in the caudate, a region that has been associated with PEs. In contrast, repetitive PEs activated brain areas that resembled more those for retrieval of originally encoded episodes. Thus, ACC and posterior cingulate cortex activation seemed to serve both reactivating old and integrating new but similar information in episodic memory. Consistent with neural findings, participants recalled original objects less accurately when only presented with the same, but not varying, PE during fMRI. The current findings suggest that repeated PEs interact more strongly with a recalled original episodic memory than varying PEs.
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Selvan RN, Cheng M, Siestrup S, Mecklenbrauck F, Jainta B, Pomp J, Zahedi A, Tamosiunaite M, Wörgötter F, Schubotz RI. Updating predictions in a complex repertoire of actions and its neural representation. Neuroimage 2024; 296:120687. [PMID: 38871038 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120687] [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: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Even though actions we observe in everyday life seem to unfold in a continuous manner, they are automatically divided into meaningful chunks, that are single actions or segments, which provide information for the formation and updating of internal predictive models. Specifically, boundaries between actions constitute a hub for predictive processing since the prediction of the current action comes to an end and calls for updating of predictions for the next action. In the current study, we investigated neural processes which characterize such boundaries using a repertoire of complex action sequences with a predefined probabilistic structure. Action sequences consisted of actions that started with the hand touching an object (T) and ended with the hand releasing the object (U). These action boundaries were determined using an automatic computer vision algorithm. Participants trained all action sequences by imitating demo videos. Subsequently, they returned for an fMRI session during which the original action sequences were presented in addition to slightly modified versions thereof. Participants completed a post-fMRI memory test to assess the retention of original action sequences. The exchange of individual actions, and thus a violation of action prediction, resulted in increased activation of the action observation network and the anterior insula. At U events, marking the end of an action, increased brain activation in supplementary motor area, striatum, and lingual gyrus was indicative of the retrieval of the previously encoded action repertoire. As expected, brain activation at U events also reflected the predefined probabilistic branching structure of the action repertoire. At T events, marking the beginning of the next action, midline and hippocampal regions were recruited, reflecting the selected prediction of the unfolding action segment. In conclusion, our findings contribute to a better understanding of the various cerebral processes characterizing prediction during the observation of complex action repertoires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosari Naveena Selvan
- Department of Psychology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany; Department for Computational Neuroscience, Third Institute of Physics - Biophysics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Minghao Cheng
- Department for Computational Neuroscience, Third Institute of Physics - Biophysics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sophie Siestrup
- Department of Psychology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Falko Mecklenbrauck
- Department of Psychology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Benjamin Jainta
- Department of Psychology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Jennifer Pomp
- Department of Psychology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Anoushiravan Zahedi
- Department of Psychology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Minija Tamosiunaite
- Department for Computational Neuroscience, Third Institute of Physics - Biophysics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Faculty of Informatics, Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Florentin Wörgötter
- Department for Computational Neuroscience, Third Institute of Physics - Biophysics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ricarda I Schubotz
- Department of Psychology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
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Schreiner MR, Bröder A, Meiser T. Agency effects on the binding of event elements in episodic memory. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2024; 77:1201-1220. [PMID: 37742043 PMCID: PMC11134989 DOI: 10.1177/17470218231203951] [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: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
Representing events in episodic memory in a coherent manner requires that their constituent elements are bound together. So far, only few moderators of these binding processes have been identified. Here we investigate whether the presence of an agentic element in an event facilitates binding. The results from six experiments provided no evidence for a facilitating effect of agency on the binding of event elements. In addition, binding effects were only found when event elements were presented simultaneously, but not when they were presented sequentially pairwise, contrary to previous findings. The results suggest that the presence of an agentic element in an event does not, or only to a very limited extent, contribute to the formation of coherent memory representations and that additional processes may be required when binding event elements across temporarily divided encoding episodes. These findings add to a growing body of research regarding moderators and processes relevant for the binding of event elements in episodic memory. Explanations of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel R Schreiner
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
- Institute of Psychology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Arndt Bröder
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Thorsten Meiser
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
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Siestrup S, Schubotz RI. Minor Changes Change Memories: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Behavioral Reflections of Episodic Prediction Errors. J Cogn Neurosci 2023; 35:1823-1845. [PMID: 37677059 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Episodic memories can be modified, a process that is potentially driven by mnemonic prediction errors. In the present study, we used modified cues to induce prediction errors of different episodic relevance. Participants encoded episodes in the form of short toy stories and then returned for an fMRI session on the subsequent day. Here, participants were presented either original episodes or slightly modified versions thereof. Modifications consisted of replacing a single object within the episode and either challenged the gist of an episode (gist modifications) or left it intact (surface modifications). On the next day, participants completed a post-fMRI memory test that probed memories for originally encoded episodes. Both types of modifications triggered brain activation in regions we previously found to be involved in the processing of content-based mnemonic prediction errors (i.e., the exchange of an object). Specifically, these were ventrolateral pFC, intraparietal cortex, and lateral occipitotemporal cortex. In addition, gist modifications triggered pronounced brain responses, whereas those for surface modification were only significant in the right inferior frontal sulcus. Processing of gist modifications also involved the posterior temporal cortex and the precuneus. Interestingly, our findings confirmed the posterior hippocampal role of detail processing in episodic memory, as evidenced by increased posterior hippocampal activity for surface modifications compared with gist modifications. In the post-fMRI memory test, previous experience with surface modified, but not gist-modified episodes, increased erroneous acceptance of the same modified versions as originally encoded. Whereas surface-level prediction errors might increase uncertainty and facilitate confusion of alternative episode representations, gist-level prediction errors seem to trigger the clear distinction of independent episodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Siestrup
- University of Münster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Germany
| | - Ricarda I Schubotz
- University of Münster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Germany
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Siestrup S, Jainta B, Cheng S, Schubotz RI. Solidity Meets Surprise: Cerebral and Behavioral Effects of Learning from Episodic Prediction Errors. J Cogn Neurosci 2022; 35:1-23. [PMID: 36473102 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
How susceptible a memory is to later modification might depend on how stable the episode has been encoded. This stability was proposed to increase when retrieving information more (vs. less) often and in a spaced (vs. massed) practice. Using fMRI, we examined the effects of these different pre-fMRI retrieval protocols on the subsequent propensity to learn from episodic prediction errors. After encoding a set of different action stories, participants came back for two pre-fMRI retrieval sessions in which they encountered original episodes either 2 or 8 times in either a spaced or a massed retrieval protocol. One week later, we cued episodic retrieval during the fMRI session by using original or modified videos of encoded action stories. Recurrent experience of modified episodes was associated with increasing activity in the episodic memory network including hippocampal and cortical areas, when leading to false memories in a post-fMRI memory test. While this observation clearly demonstrated learning from episodic prediction errors, we found no evidence for a modulatory effect of the different retrieval protocols. As expected, the benefit of retrieving an episode more often was reflected in better memory for originally encoded episodes. In addition, frontal activity increased for episodic prediction errors when episodes had been less frequently retrieved pre-fMRI. A history of spaced versus massed retrieval was associated with increased activation throughout the episodic memory network, with no significant effect on behavioral performance. Our findings show that episodic prediction errors led to false memories. The history of different retrieval protocols was reflected in memory performance and brain responses to episodic prediction errors, but did not interact with the brain's episodic learning response.
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Siestrup S, Jainta B, El-Sourani N, Trempler I, Wurm MF, Wolf OT, Cheng S, Schubotz RI. What Happened When? Cerebral Processing of Modified Structure and Content in Episodic Cueing. J Cogn Neurosci 2022; 34:1287-1305. [PMID: 35552744 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Episodic memories are not static but can change on the basis of new experiences, potentially allowing us to make valid predictions in the face of an ever-changing environment. Recent research has identified prediction errors during memory retrieval as a possible trigger for such changes. In this study, we used modified episodic cues to investigate whether different types of mnemonic prediction errors modulate brain activity and subsequent memory performance. Participants encoded episodes that consisted of short toy stories. During a subsequent fMRI session, participants were presented videos showing the original episodes, or slightly modified versions thereof. In modified videos, either the order of two subsequent action steps was changed or an object was exchanged for another. Content modifications recruited parietal, temporo-occipital, and parahippocampal areas reflecting the processing of the new object information. In contrast, structure modifications elicited activation in right dorsal premotor, posterior temporal, and parietal areas, reflecting the processing of new sequence information. In a post-fMRI memory test, the participants' tendency to accept modified episodes as originally encoded increased significantly when they had been presented modified versions already during the fMRI session. After experiencing modifications, especially those of the episodes' structure, the recognition of originally encoded episodes was impaired as well. Our study sheds light onto the neural processing of different types of episodic prediction errors and their influence on subsequent memory recall.
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