Cited by 41Memory and Neural MechanismsMemory Processes and InfluencesCognitive Functions and Memory

Replay of incidentally encoded episodic memories in the rat

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Sheridan, Cassandra L., Lang, Stephen, Knappenberger, Mya, Albers, Cami, Loper, Ryleigh, Tillett, Baily, Sanchez, Jonah, Wilcox, Alyssa +3 more·2024·Current Biology

Abstract

Although events are not always known to be important when they occur, people can remember details about such incidentally encoded information using episodic memory. Importantly, when information is explicitly encoded for use in an expected test of retention (as in most assessments in animals), it is possible that it is used to generate a planned action 1,2,3; thus, the remembered action can occur without remembering the earlier episode. By contrast, when a test is unexpected, transforming information into an action plan is unlikely because the importance of the information and the nature of the test are not yet known. Thus, accurate performance in an unexpected test after incidental encoding documents episodic memory.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 Here, we present evidence that rats replay episodic memories of incidentally encoded information in an unexpected assessment of memory. In one task,9 rats reported the third-last item in an explicitly encoded list of trial-unique odors. In a second task,10 rats foraged in a radial maze in the absence of odors. On a critical test, rats foraged in the radial maze, but scented lids covered the food. Next, memory of the third-last odor was assessed. All participating rats correctly answered the unexpected question. These results suggest that rats encoded multiple pieces of putatively unimportant information, and later they replayed a stream of episodic memories when that information was needed to solve an unexpected problem. We propose that rats replay episodic memories of incidentally encoded information, which documents a critical aspect of human episodic memory in a non-human animal.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.043

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  • To access incidentally encoded information, an animal must recall a holistic representation of the episode, containing many details surrounding the event as well as the event narrative sequence, and subsequently replay, target and manipulate this information within the event representation.

    “To access incidentally encoded information, an animal must recall a holistic representation of the episode, containing many details surrounding the event as well as the event narrative sequence, and subsequently replay, target and manipulate this information within the event representation [85,92,94,114].”

    From Is episodic-like memory <i>like</i> episodic memory? (2024) · cites this paper as [94]

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Authors
Sheridan, C. L., Lang, S., Knappenberger, M., Albers, C., Loper, R., Tillett, B., Sanchez, J., Wilcox, A., Harrison, T., Panoz-Brown, D., & Crystal, J. D.
Affiliations
Indiana University Bloomington (US)
Corresponding author
Crystal, Jonathon D.
Venue
Current Biology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2024-02
Volume
34
Issue
3
Pages
641-647.e5
ISSN
0960-9822 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4390829700
Cited by
40
References
63
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 11
FWCI
9.72
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Current Biology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Science Foundation (NSF/BCS-1946039)
  • Department of Business and Innovation, Victoria State Government (-2050311)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Functions and Memory
Keywords
episodic memory, incidental encoding, rats, action planning, memory retrieval, episodic-like memory
MeSH terms
Animals, Food, Humans, Odorants, Mental Recall, Rats, Memory, Episodic

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