The Mechanisms of Memory in the Brain

Dear Colleagues,

In the last 20 years, there have been revolutionary advances in the understanding of human memory. These advances have been facilitated by the development of sophisticated brain imaging techniques, as well as targeted experimental investigations of impaired and preserved function in neuropsychological populations. A common theme emerging from this work is that the brain is not a tabula rasa, waiting to be activated by external stimuli. Instead, the brain continually generates predictions based on past experience and stored knowledge. These memory-based predictions provide expectations about the future that serve as a scaffold to shape our thoughts, decisions, and actions.

This Special Issue is intended to present and discuss the potential cognitive and neural mechanisms that support this proactive use of memory. Topics include: (1) What are the neural mechanisms that support the creation of internal predictions based on prior experiences and stored knowledge? (2) Do predictions based on different types of memory (e.g., implicit/explicit, semantic/episodic) rely on independent or overlapping cognitive and neural systems? (3) How does the brain use memory-based predictions flexibly and adaptively to optimize cognition and behavior?

Submissions related to the mechanisms of predictive memory function in health, disease, and across the lifespan will be considered, with preference given to articles with a clear empirical component (including hypothesis testing, model building, or a review of empirical work).

Dr. Elizabeth Race
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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