Early analysis of retrieval cues guides selection of retrieval processing

• Human long-term memory holds semantic and episodic memories. Retrieval from these two memory systems occurs independently. As required information may be held in either of these systems, the question arises how and when is the choice of retrieval processing (episodic/semantic) determined. Here we report results from an ERP study on healthy young adults during a forced-choice associative recognition task, designed to test the hypothesis that early processing of retrieval cues influences subsequent retrieval processing. The test items had previously been encoded repeatedly (6x) or only once (1x) during pre-experimental training period, thereby influencing the reliance on semantic or episodic retrieval processes.  Differences between the two conditions were observed for the familiarity-sensitive FN400 component as well as for a late (>1000 ms) component indexing post-retrieval processing. Most critically, we found that a difference between successfully retrieved 6x and 1x items emerged already during the 100-140 ms time window. These results indicate that choice of retrieval processes (episodic/semantic) depends on early matching between retrieval cues and memory traces.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Fysiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Physiology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

erp

episodic memory

semantic memory

Neurophysiology

Neurofysiologi

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

ovr (ämneskategori)