Prof. Roberto Cabeza | Memory networks and representations

Guest Lecture

  • Date: Jul 11, 2017
  • Time: 04:00 PM - 05:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Prof. Roberto Cabeza
  • Department of Psychology and Neuroscience & Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, USA
  • Location: MPI for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences
  • Room: Wilhelm Wundt Room (A400)
  • Host: Department of Neuropsychology
Episodic memory is assumed to depend on a complex network of brain regions that mediate encoding and retrieval processes and store memory representations. Memory traces are assumed to be distributed over the cortex but integrated by relational representations in the hippocampus. Consistent with this hypothesis, our graph-based network studies show that the hippocampus becomes more integrated with the rest of the network during successful retrieval. The episodic network is flexible so that when the function of a region is impaired using TMS, this deficit is compensated by increased connectivity across the network. To investigate the nature of episodic representations, we measure similarity in activation patterns during encoding and retrieval. Using this approach, we have identified cortical regions that store event-specific representations, and have distinguished between visual and semantic aspects of episodic representations. Taking together, our studies demonstrate the power of network and representational analyses to clarify the neural mechanisms of episodic memory.

Poster
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