Work

Ventral Striatum and the Evaluation of Memory Retrieval Strategies

Year: 2014

Type: article

Abstract: Adaptive memory retrieval requires mechanisms of cognitive control that facilitate the recovery of goal-relevant information. Frontoparietal systems are known to support control of memory retrieval. However, the mechanisms by which the brain acquires, evaluates, and adapts retrieval strategies remain unknown. Here, we provide evidence that ventral striatal activation tracks the success of a retrieval strategy and correlates with subsequent reliance on that strategy. Human participants were scanned with fMRI while performing a lexical decision task. A rule was provided that indicated the likely semantic category of a target word given the category of a preceding prime. Reliance on the rule improved decision-making, as estimated within a drift diffusion framework. Ventral striatal activation tracked the benefit that relying on the rule had on decision-making. Moreover, activation in ventral striatum correlated with a participant's subsequent reliance on the rule. Taken together, these results support a role for ventral striatum in learning and evaluating declarative retrieval strategies.

Source: Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience

DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_00596

Authors: David Badre, Sophie Lebrecht, David Pagliaccio, Nicole M. Long, Jason M. Scimeca

Institutions: Brown University, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania

Language: English

Topic: Memory Processes and Influences

Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Awards: G3219652903, Cognitive control and the functional organization of frontal cortex, G6834576092