Interdependence of episodic and semantic memory: evidence from neuropsychology
Open accessAbstract
Tulving's (1972) theory of memory draws a distinction between general knowledge (semantic memory) and memory for events (episodic memory). Neuropsychological studies have generally examined each type of memory in isolation, but theorists have long argued that these two forms of memory are interdependent. Here we review several lines of neuropsychological research that have explored the interdependence of episodic and semantic memory. The studies show that these forms of memory can affect each other both at encoding and at retrieval. We suggest that theories of memory should be revised to account for all of the interdependencies between episodic and semantic memory; they should also incorporate forms of memory that do not fit neatly into either category.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The construction and elaboration of fictitious scenes, and personal future events, should draw on semantic knowledge.
“If semantic memory forms a critical component of past episodic retrieval (Levine, 2004;Greenberg and Verfaellie, 2010), and underlies much of internally driven cognition (Binder et al., 2009), it follows that the construction and elaboration of fictitious scenes, and personal future events, should also draw on semantic knowledge (Irish et al., 2012).”
From Considering the role of semantic memory in episodic future thinking: evidence from semantic dementia (2012) · cites this paper as Greenberg and Verfaellie, 2010
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
(1983) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 6,051 · see citing works
Episodic memory: from mind to brain
Tulving, E. (2002) · Annual Review of Psychology · doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.53.100901.135114 · Cited by 4,950 · see citing works
Tulving, E. (1985) · Canadian Psychology / Psychologie canadienne · doi:10.1037/h0080017 · Cited by 4,638 · see citing works
Berti, A. (1992) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/0028-3932(92)90076-x · Cited by 4,190 · see citing works
The construction of autobiographical memories in the self-memory system
Conway, M. A., & Pleydell-Pearce, C. W. (2000) · Psychological Review · doi:10.1037/0033-295x.107.2.261 · Cited by 4,089 · see citing works
Differential Effects of Early Hippocampal Pathology on Episodic and Semantic Memory
Vargha-Khadem, F., Gadian, D. G., Watkins, K. E., Connelly, A., Van Paesschen, W., & Mishkin, M. (1997) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.277.5324.376 · Cited by 1,746 · see citing works
Battig, W. F., Tulving, E., & Donaldson, W. (1973) · The American Journal of Psychology · doi:10.2307/1421962 · Cited by 1,428 · see citing works
Patients with hippocampal amnesia cannot imagine new experiences
Hassabis, D., Kumaran, D., Vann, S. D., & Maguire, E. A. (2007) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.0610561104 · Cited by 1,414 · see citing works
Kopelman, M. D., Wilson, B. A., & Baddeley, A. (1989) · Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology · doi:10.1080/01688638908400928 · Cited by 939 · see citing works
Horton, A. M., & Moses, J. A. (1996) · Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology · doi:10.1093/arclin/11.8.713 · Cited by 765 · see citing works
Patterns of temporal lobe atrophy in semantic dementia and Alzheimer's disease
Chan, D., Fox, N. C., Scahill, R. I., Crum, W. R., Whitwell, J. L., Leschziner, G., Rossor, A. M., Stevens, J. M., Cipolotti, L., & Rossor, M. N. (2001) · Annals of Neurology · doi:10.1002/ana.92 · Cited by 749 · see citing works
Functional neuroimaging of autobiographical memory
Cabeza, R., & St Jacques, P. (2007) · Trends in Cognitive Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.tics.2007.02.005 · Cited by 736 · see citing works
Sensory–perceptual episodic memory and its context: autobiographical memory
Conway, M. A. (2001) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2001.0940 · Cited by 640 · see citing works
Belief and recollection of autobiographical memories
Rubin, D. C., Schrauf, R. W., & Greenberg, D. L. (2003) · Memory & Cognition · doi:10.3758/bf03196443 · Cited by 612 · see citing works
Self-citationJohn Dean's memory: A case study
Neisser, U. (1981) · Cognition · doi:10.1016/0010-0277(81)90011-1 · Cited by 566 · see citing works
Episodic memory and common sense: how far apart?
Tulving, E. (2001) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2001.0937 · Cited by 536 · see citing works
Charting the progression in semantic dementia: Implications for the organisation of semantic memory
Hodges, J. R., Graham, N. L., & Patterson, K. E. (1995) · Memory · doi:10.1080/09658219508253161 · Cited by 436 · see citing works
The content and organization of autobiographical memories
Barsalou, L. W. (1988) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511664014.009 · Cited by 433 · see citing works
Graham, K. S., & Hodges, J. R. (1997) · Neuropsychology · doi:10.1037/0894-4105.11.1.77 · Cited by 421 · see citing works
Piolino, P. (2003) · Brain · doi:10.1093/brain/awg222 · Cited by 396 · see citing works
Semantic Memory and the Human Hippocampus
Manns, J. R., Hopkins, R. O., & Squire, L. R. (2003) · Neuron · doi:10.1016/s0896-6273(03)00146-6 · Cited by 354 · see citing works
Kopelman, M. D. (1989) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/0028-3932(89)90050-x · Cited by 344 · see citing works
Remembering Reconsidered: Ecological and Traditional Approaches to the Study of Memory
Roediger, H. L., III, Neisser, U., & Winograd, E. (1990) · The American Journal of Psychology · doi:10.2307/1423218 · Cited by 329 · see citing works
Retrieval modes produce dissociations in memory for surface information.
Roediger, H. L., III, & Blaxton, T. A. (1987) · Cited by 319 · see citing works
Remembering Reconsidered: Ecological and Traditional Approaches to the Study of Memory
Neisser, U., & Winograd, E. (2009) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 293 · see citing works
Long-lasting perceptual priming and semantic learning in amnesia: A case experiment.
Tulving, E., Hayman, C. A. G., & Macdonald, C. A. (1991) · Journal of Experimental Psychology Learning Memory and Cognition · doi:10.1037//0278-7393.17.4.595 · Cited by 260 · see citing works
Memory and learning : the Ebbinghaus Centennial Conference
Gorfein, D. S., & Hoffman, R. P. (1987) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 243 · see citing works
Luzzi, S., Snowden, J. S., Neary, D., Coccia, M., Provinciali, L., & Ralph, M. A. L. (2006) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2006.12.008 · Cited by 239 · see citing works
The anterior temporal lobes and the functional architecture of semantic memory
Simmons, W. K., & Martin, A. D. (2009) · Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society · doi:10.1017/s1355617709990348 · Cited by 215 · see citing works
Patterns of Autobiographical Memory Loss in Medial-Temporal Lobe Amnesic Patients
Rosenbaum, R., Moscovitch, M., Foster, J., Schnyer, D. M., Gao, F.-Q., Kovačević, N., Verfaellie, M., Black, S., & Levine, B. (2008) · Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1162/jocn.2008.20105 · Cited by 199 · see citing works
Self-citationInsights from semantic dementia on the relationship between episodic and semantic memory
Graham, K. S., Simons, J. S., Pratt, K. H., Patterson, K. E., & Hodges, J. R. (2000) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/s0028-3932(99)00073-1 · Cited by 198 · see citing works
Retrograde amnesia in patients with diencephalic,temporal lobe or frontal lesions
Kopelman, M. D. (1999) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/s0028-3932(98)00143-2 · Cited by 197 · see citing works
Reder, L. M., Park, H., & Kieffaber, P. D. (2009) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/a0013974 · Cited by 180 · see citing works
Westmacott, R., Black, S. E., Freedman, M., & Moscovitch, M. (2003) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/s0028-3932(03)00147-7 · Cited by 169 · see citing works
Cognitive psychology and human memory
Baddeley, A. (1988) · Trends in Neurosciences · doi:10.1016/0166-2236(88)90145-2 · Cited by 156 · see citing works
The anatomy of semantic knowledge: Medial vs. lateral temporal lobe
Levy, D. A., Bayley, P. J., & Squire, L. R. (2004) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.0401679101 · Cited by 156 · see citing works
Memory: Systems, Process, or Function?
(1999) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198524069.001.0001 · Cited by 141 · see citing works
Acquisition of post-morbid vocabulary and semantic facts in the absence of episodic memory
Kitchener, E. G. (1998) · Brain · doi:10.1093/brain/121.7.1313 · Cited by 132 · see citing works
The Fate of Old Memories after Medial Temporal Lobe Damage
Bayley, P. J., Hopkins, R. O., & Squire, L. R. (2006) · Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.4262-06.2006 · Cited by 126 · see citing works
The loss of episodic memories in retrograde amnesia: single–case and group studies
Kopelman, M. D., & Kapur, N. (2001) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2001.0942 · Cited by 114 · see citing works
Failure to acquire new semantic knowledge in patients with large medial temporal lobe lesions
Bayley, P. J., & Squire, L. R. (2004) · Hippocampus · doi:10.1002/hipo.20057 · Cited by 102 · see citing works
Mayes, A. R., & Roberts, N. (2001) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2001.0941 · Cited by 97 · see citing works
Autobiographical memory in semantic dementia: A longitudinal fMRI study
Maguire, E. A., Kumaran, D., Hassabis, D., & Kopelman, M. D. (2009) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2009.08.020 · Cited by 95 · see citing works
NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL DEFICITS IN ADULTS WITH DYSLEXIA
Kinsbourne, M., RUFO, D. T., Gamzu, E. R., Palmer, R. L., & Berliner, A. K. (1991) · Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology · doi:10.1111/j.1469-8749.1991.tb14960.x · Cited by 95 · see citing works
Impaired Category Fluency in Medial Temporal Lobe Amnesia: The Role of Episodic Memory
Greenberg, D. L., Keane, M. M., Ryan, L., & Verfaellie, M. H. (2009) · Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.1202-09.2009 · Cited by 94 · see citing works
Self-citationContribution of Prior Semantic Knowledge to New Episodic Learning in Amnesia
Kan, I. P., ALEXANDER, M. P., & Verfaellie, M. H. (2008) · Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1162/jocn.2009.21066 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Self-citationAutomatic activation of episodic information in a semantic memory task.
McKoon, G., & Ratcliff, R. (1986) · Journal of Experimental Psychology Learning Memory and Cognition · doi:10.1037//0278-7393.12.1.108 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
Toth, J. P., & Hunt, R. R. (1999) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198524069.003.0009 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Verbal memory function in mild aphasia
Ween, J. E., Verfaellie, M. H., & ALEXANDER, M. P. (1996) · Neurology · doi:10.1212/wnl.47.3.795 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Self-citationNew semantic learning in patients with large medial temporal lobe lesions
Bayley, P. J., O’Reilly, R. C., Curran, T., & Squire, L. R. (2008) · Hippocampus · doi:10.1002/hipo.20417 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Automatic activation of episodic information in a semantic memory task.
McKoon, G., & Ratcliff, R. (1986) · Journal of Experimental Psychology Learning Memory and Cognition · doi:10.1037/0278-7393.12.1.108 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Simons, J. S., Graham, K. S., & Hodges, J. R. (2002) · Journal of Memory and Language · doi:10.1016/s0749-596x(02)00003-7 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Nature of personal semantic memory: evidence from Alzheimer’s disease
Kazui, H., Hashimoto, M., Hirono, N., & Mori, E. (2003) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/s0028-3932(02)00322-6 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
The semantic-episodic distinction and the history of long-term memory typologies
Herrmann, D. J. (1982) · Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society · doi:10.3758/bf03334817 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
The memory chop shop: issues in the search for memory systems
Weldon, M. S. (1999) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198524069.003.0007 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
A case study of amnesia: Exploring a paradigm for new semantic learning and generalization
Stark, S. M., Gordon, B., & Stark, C. E. L. (2008) · Brain Injury · doi:10.1080/02699050801953081 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
The Ties That Bind Us: Ritual, Fusion, and Identification
Whitehouse, H., & Lanman, J. A. (2014) · Current Anthropology · doi:10.1086/678698 · Cited by 509 · see citing works
Considering the role of semantic memory in episodic future thinking: evidence from semantic dementia
Irish, M., Addis, D. R., Hodges, J. R., & Piguet, O. (2012) · Brain · doi:10.1093/brain/aws119 · Cited by 405 · see citing works
The Pivotal Role of Semantic Memory in Remembering the Past and Imagining the Future
Irish, M., & Piguet, O. (2013) · Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2013.00027 · Cited by 345 · see citing works
Self-projection and the default network in frontotemporal dementia
Irish, M., Piguet, O., & Hodges, J. R. (2012) · Nature Reviews Neurology · doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2012.11 · Cited by 140 · see citing works
Impaired capacity for prospection in the dementias—theoretical and clinical implications
Irish, M., & Piolino, P. (2016) · British Journal of Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1111/bjc.12090 · Cited by 107 · see citing works
Episodic and semantic content of memory and imagination: a multilevel analysis
Devitt, A. L., Addis, D. R., & Schacter, D. L. (2017) · Memory & Cognition · doi:10.3758/s13421-017-0716-1 · Cited by 91 · see citing works
Osvath, M., & Martin-Ordas, G. (2014) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2013.0486 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Moscovitch, M., & Gilboa, A. (2022) · Faculty Reviews · doi:10.12703/r/11-33 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
The mnemonic functions of episodic memory
Boyle, A. (2022) · Philosophical Psychology · doi:10.1080/09515089.2021.1980520 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Remembering what did not happen: the role of hypnosis in memory recall and false memories formation
Leo, D. G., Bruno, D., & Proietti, R. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1433762 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
- Authors
- GREENBERG, D. L., & VERFAELLIE, M.
- Affiliations
- Boston University (US)
- Corresponding author
- GREENBERG, DANIEL L.
- ORCID
- VERFAELLIE, MIEKE
- Venue
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2010-06-18
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 748-753
- ISSN
- 1355-6177 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-7661
- PMC
- PMC2952732
- OpenAlex
- W2160104095
- Cited by
- 320
- References
- 56
- Citations by year
- 2026: 23 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 41 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 25 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 13
- FWCI
- 0.57
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Cambridge
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH071783, MH71783)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Functions and Memory
- Keywords
- episodic memory, semantic memory, memory encoding, memory retrieval, general knowledge, event memory, memory theory
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Memory, Neuropsychological Tests, Neuropsychology, Mental Recall, Semantics
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
