Learning-related representational changes reveal dissociable integration and separation signatures in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.

ABSTRACT: The episodic memory system enables accurate retrieval while maintaining flexibility by representing both specific episodes and generalizations across events. Although theories suggest that the hippocampus (HPC) is dedicated to represent specific episodes while the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) generalizes, other accounts posit that HPC can also integrate related memories. Here we use high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging in humans to examine how representations of memory elements change to either differentiate or generalize across related events. We show that while posterior HPC and anterior MPFC maintain distinct memories for individual events, anterior HPC and posterior MPFC integrate across memories. Integration is particularly likely for established memories versus th

SUBMITTER: Schlichting ML 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4560815 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature