Cited by 177Memory Processes and InfluencesMemory and Neural MechanismsCognitive Functions and Memory

Reinstatement of individual past events revealed by the similarity of distributed activation patterns during encoding and retrieval

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Wing, Erik A., Ritchey, Maureen, Cabeza, Roberto·2015·Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience

Abstract

Neurobiological memory models assume memory traces are stored in neocortex, with pointers in the hippocampus, and are then reactivated during retrieval, yielding the experience of remembering. Whereas most prior neuroimaging studies on reactivation have focused on the reactivation of sets or categories of items, the current study sought to identify cortical patterns pertaining to memory for individual scenes. During encoding, participants viewed pictures of scenes paired with matching labels (e.g., “barn,” “tunnel”), and, during retrieval, they recalled the scenes in response to the labels and rated the quality of their visual memories. Using representational similarity analyses, we interrogated the similarity between activation patterns during encoding and retrieval both at the item level (individual scenes) and the set level (all scenes). The study yielded four main findings. First, in occipitotemporal cortex, memory success increased with encoding-retrieval similarity (ERS) at the item level but not at the set level, indicating the reactivation of individual scenes. Second, in ventrolateral pFC, memory increased with ERS for both item and set levels, indicating the recapitulation of memory processes that benefit encoding and retrieval of all scenes. Third, in retrosplenial/posterior cingulate cortex, ERS was sensitive to individual scene information irrespective of memory success, suggesting automatic activation of scene contexts. Finally, consistent with neurobiological models, hippocampal activity during encoding predicted the subsequent reactivation of individual items. These findings show the promise of studying memory with greater specificity by isolating individual mnemonic representations and determining their relationship to factors like the detail with which past events are remembered.

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  • The finding of similar brain activity patterns between encoding and recall of a continuous movie narrative supports previous studies showing reinstatement of neural patterns during recall using simpler stimuli such as words, images, and short videos.

    “Our finding of similar brain activity patterns between encoding and recall of a continuous movie narrative supports previous studies showing reinstatement of neural patterns during recall using simpler stimuli such as words, images, and short videos (Polyn et al. 2005; St-Laurent et al. 2014; Wing et al. 2014; Bird et al. 2015).”

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Authors
Wing, E. A., Ritchey, M., & Cabeza, R.
Affiliations
  • Duke University (US)
  • University of California, Davis (US)
Venue
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
Publisher
MIT Press
Published
2015-04-01
Volume
27
Issue
4
Pages
679-691
ISSN
  • 0898-929X (ISSN-L)
  • 1530-8898
OpenAlex
W1964975840
Cited by
174
References
60
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 29 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 5
FWCI
5.95
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute on Aging (R01AG019731, AG 19731)
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
memory reactivation, scene memory, representational similarity, hippocampal reactivation, occipitotemporal cortex, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, retrosplenial cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, memory quality
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Association, Brain, Brain Mapping, Female, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Neural Pathways, Oxygen, Photic Stimulation, Reaction Time, Mental Recall, Young Adult, Spatial Memory

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