Cited by 2,580Memory and Neural MechanismsMemory Processes and InfluencesCognitive Functions and Memory

The Medial Temporal Lobe and Recognition Memory

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Eichenbaum, H., Yonelinas, A.P., Ranganath, C.·2007·Annual Review of Neuroscience

Abstract

The ability to recognize a previously experienced stimulus is supported by two processes: recollection of the stimulus in the context of other information associated with the experience, and a sense of familiarity with the features of the stimulus. Although familiarity and recollection are functionally distinct, there is considerable debate about how these kinds of memory are supported by regions in the medial temporal lobes (MTL). Here, we review evidence for the distinction between recollection and familiarity and then consider the evidence regarding the neural mechanisms of these processes. Evidence from neuropsychological, neuroimaging, and neurophysiological studies of humans, monkeys, and rats indicates that different subregions of the MTL make distinct contributions to recollection and familiarity. The data suggest that the hippocampus is critical for recollection but not familiarity. The parahippocampal cortex also contributes to recollection, possibly via the representation and retrieval of contextual (especially spatial) information, whereas perirhinal cortex contributes to and is necessary for familiarity-based recognition. The findings are consistent with an anatomically guided hypothesis about the functional organization of the MTL and suggest mechanisms by which the anatomical components of the MTL interact to support the phenomenology of recollection and familiarity.

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Crossref · 10.1146/annurev.neuro.30.051606.094328

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  • The medial temporal, medial prefrontal, midline and parietal brain regions make up a core network engaged during episodic recall and imagining the future.

    “For instance, the medial temporal, medial prefrontal, midline and parietal brain regions make up a ‘core network’ that is engaged during episodic recall and imagining the future [25–27,33–36]”

    From Is episodic-like memory <i>like</i> episodic memory? (2024) · cites this paper as [35]

  • The PHC has been implicated in memory for specific context information.

    “the PHC has been implicated in memory for specific context information”

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Authors
Eichenbaum, H., Yonelinas, A. P., & Ranganath, C.
Affiliations
  • Boston University (US)
  • University of California, Davis (US)
  • Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, California 95616;,
Venue
Annual Review of Neuroscience
Published
2007-07-01
Volume
30
Issue
1
Pages
123-152
ISSN
  • 0147-006X (ISSN-L)
  • 1545-4126
OpenAlex
W2170972933
Cited by
2,580
References
169
Citations by year
2026: 73 · 2025: 122 · 2024: 108 · 2023: 102 · 2022: 105 · 2021: 123 · 2020: 150 · 2019: 147 · 2018: 148 · 2017: 165 · 2016: 141 · 2015: 136 · 2014: 149 · 2013: 185 · 2012: 173
FWCI
9.69
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Annual Review of Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute of Mental Health (MH-71702, MH67821, MH059352, MH51570, R01MH051570, MH 52090, R01MH083734, P50MH071702, R01MH059352, R01MH052090)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS40813, P01NS040813)
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
medial temporal lobe, recognition memory, recollection, familiarity, hippocampus, parahippocampal cortex, perirhinal cortex, contextual memory, spatial memory, memory retrieval
MeSH terms
Animals, Evoked Potentials, Hippocampus, Humans, Memory, Models, Neurological, Neural Pathways, Temporal Lobe, Parahippocampal Gyrus, Recognition, Psychology, Models, Animal

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