Kerrén, C., van Bree, S., Griffiths, B. J. and Wimber, M. (2022) Phase separation of competing memories along the human hippocampal theta rhythm. eLife, 11, e80633. (doi: 10.7554/elife.80633) (PMID:36394367) (PMCID:PMC9671495)
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Abstract
Competition between overlapping memories is considered one of the major causes of forgetting, and it is still unknown how the human brain resolves such mnemonic conflict. In the present magnetoencephalography (MEG) study, we empirically tested a computational model that leverages an oscillating inhibition algorithm to minimise overlap between memories. We used a proactive interference task, where a reminder word could be associated with either a single image (non-competitive condition) or two competing images, and participants were asked to always recall the most recently learned word–image association. Time-resolved pattern classifiers were trained to detect the reactivated content of target and competitor memories from MEG sensor patterns, and the timing of these neural reactivations was analysed relative to the phase of the dominant hippocampal 3 Hz theta oscillation. In line with our pre-registered hypotheses, target and competitor reactivations locked to different phases of the hippocampal theta rhythm after several repeated recalls. Participants who behaviourally experienced lower levels of interference also showed larger phase separation between the two overlapping memories. The findings provide evidence that the temporal segregation of memories, orchestrated by slow oscillations, plays a functional role in resolving mnemonic competition by separating and prioritising relevant memories under conditions of high interference.
| Item Type: | Articles |
|---|---|
| Status: | Published |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | Wimber, Professor Maria and van Bree, Sander |
| Creator Roles: | Wimber, M.Conceptualization, Data curation, Supervision, Funding acquisition, Validation, Methodology, Writing – original draft, Project administration, Writing – review and editing |
| Authors: | Kerrén, C., van Bree, S., Griffiths, B. J., and Wimber, M. |
| College/School: | College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Psychology & Neuroscience |
| Journal Name: | eLife |
| Publisher: | eLife Sciences Publications |
| ISSN: | 2050-084X |
| ISSN (Online): | 2050-084X |
| Copyright Holders: | Copyright © 2022 Kerrén et al. |
| First Published: | First published in eLife 11: e80633 |
| Publisher Policy: | Reproduced under a Creative Commons License |
| Related URLs: | |
| Data DOI: | 10.5281/ zenodo.6602054 |
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