Resistance to forgetting associated with hippocampus-mediated reactivation during new learning
Open accessAbstract
One of the reasons why we forget past experiences is because we acquire new memories in the interim. Although the hippocampus is thought to be important for acquiring and retaining memories, there is little evidence linking neural operations during new learning to the forgetting (or remembering) of earlier events. We found that, during the encoding of new memories, responses in the human hippocampus are predictive of the retention of memories for previously experienced, overlapping events. This brain-behavior relationship is evident in neural responses to individual events and in differences across individuals. We found that the hippocampus accomplishes this function by reactivating older memories as new memories are formed; in this case, reactivating neural responses that represented monetary rewards associated with older memories. These data reveal a fundamental mechanism by which the hippocampus tempers the forgetting of older memories as newer memories are acquired.
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Memories transferred to neocortical storage sites become less dependent on the hippocampus, which is the primary site where newly encoded memories can overlay and disrupt previously encoded older representations (retroactive interference).
“Thereby these memories become less dependent on hippocampus as the primary site where newly encoded memories can overlay and disrupt previously encoded older representation, i.e. a process known as retroactive interference (Kuhl, Shah, DuBrow, & Wagner 2010).”
From System consolidation of memory during sleep (2012) · cites this paper as Kuhl, Shah, DuBrow, & Wagner 2010
The Abstract says that new, overlapping learning can interfere with older memories, supporting the claim’s account of retroactive interference. But it does not say that memories become less hippocampus-dependent after transfer to neocortex or that the hippocampus is the primary site where new memories disrupt old ones. The Discussion instead emphasizes hippocampal reactivation as a way to reduce such forgetting. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredUsing an interference A-B A-C paradigm, Kuhl et al. observed distinct hippocampal activation during learning of new A-C object associations, which was predictive for later remembering the first-learned A-B associations, suggesting that reactivation of old associations during new learning prevented forgetting.
“Using an interference A-B A-C paradigm, Kuhl et al. ( 674) observed distinct hippocampal activation during learning of the new A-C object associations (interfering with the first learned A-B associations), which was predictive for later remembering the first-learned A-B associations, suggesting that reactivation of old associations during new learning prevented forgetting.”
From About Sleep's Role in Memory (2013) · cites this paper as [674]
The hippocampus and vmPFC support flexible memory processes that allow memories to be combined and used in novel ways and contribute to memory updating.
“A related line of research suggests that the hippocampus and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) support flexible memory processes that allow memories to be combined and used in novel ways, and that contribute to memory updating.”
From Neural mechanisms of reactivation-induced updating that enhance and distort memory (2013) · cites this paper as [54]
There is conflicting evidence regarding the nature of awake reactivation, with some studies showing that reactivation enhances or even protects memory from new information and other studies indicating that reactivation incorporates new information into memory.
“However, there is conflicting evidence regarding the nature of awake reactivation, with some studies showing that reactivation enhances or even protects memory from new information (54, 64, 65) and other studies indicating that reactivation incorporates new information into memory (49, 65–67).”
From Neural mechanisms of reactivation-induced updating that enhance and distort memory (2013) · cites this paper as [54]
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- Authors
- Kuhl, B. A., Shah, A. T., DuBrow, S., & Wagner, A. D.
- Affiliations
- Stanford University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Kuhl, Brice A
- Wagner, Anthony D
- Venue
- Nature Neuroscience
- Published
- 2010-02-28
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 501-506
- ISSN
- 1097-6256 (ISSN-L)
- 1546-1726
- PMC
- PMC2847013
- OpenAlex
- W2075779898
- Cited by
- 225
- References
- 47
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 16 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 22 · 2012: 20
- FWCI
- 12.61
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Nature Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Wellcome Trust
- National Institutes of Health (5r01mh080309-04)
- National Institute of Mental Health (R01-MH080309, 5R01MH080309)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
- Keywords
- hippocampus, memory reactivation, forgetting, memory encoding, memory retention, overlapping events, neural representations, monetary rewards, individual differences, memory interference
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Association Learning, Female, Hippocampus, Humans, Learning, Male, Memory, Memory Disorders, Reaction Time, Mental Recall, Young Adult
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