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Encoding of long-term associations through neural unitization in the human medial temporal lobe

Author

Listed:
  • Hernan G. Rey

    (University of Leicester)

  • Emanuela De Falco

    (University of Leicester)

  • Matias J. Ison

    (University of Leicester
    University of Nottingham)

  • Antonio Valentin

    (Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London
    King’s College Hospital NHS Trust)

  • Gonzalo Alarcon

    (Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London
    King’s College Hospital NHS Trust
    Hamad Medical Corporation)

  • Richard Selway

    (King’s College Hospital NHS Trust)

  • Mark P. Richardson

    (Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London)

  • Rodrigo Quian Quiroga

    (University of Leicester)

Abstract

Besides decades of research showing the role of the medial temporal lobe (MTL) in memory and the encoding of associations, the neural substrates underlying these functions remain unknown. We identified single neurons in the human MTL that responded to multiple and, in most cases, associated stimuli. We observed that most of these neurons exhibit no differences in their spike and local field potential (LFP) activity associated with the individual response-eliciting stimuli. In addition, LFP responses in the theta band preceded single neuron responses by ~70 ms, with the single trial phase providing fine tuning of the spike response onset. We postulate that the finding of similar neuronal responses to associated items provides a simple and flexible way of encoding memories in the human MTL, increasing the effective capacity for memory storage and successful retrieval.

Suggested Citation

  • Hernan G. Rey & Emanuela De Falco & Matias J. Ison & Antonio Valentin & Gonzalo Alarcon & Richard Selway & Mark P. Richardson & Rodrigo Quian Quiroga, 2018. "Encoding of long-term associations through neural unitization in the human medial temporal lobe," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:9:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-018-06870-2
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06870-2
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    Cited by:

    1. Rodrigo Quian Quiroga & Marta Boscaglia & Jacques Jonas & Hernan G. Rey & Xiaoqian Yan & Louis Maillard & Sophie Colnat-Coulbois & Laurent Koessler & Bruno Rossion, 2023. "Single neuron responses underlying face recognition in the human midfusiform face-selective cortex," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    2. Thomas P. Reber & Sina Mackay & Marcel Bausch & Marcel S. Kehl & Valeri Borger & Rainer Surges & Florian Mormann, 2023. "Single-neuron mechanisms of neural adaptation in the human temporal lobe," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    3. Chiara Gastaldi & Tilo Schwalger & Emanuela De Falco & Rodrigo Quian Quiroga & Wulfram Gerstner, 2021. "When shared concept cells support associations: Theory of overlapping memory engrams," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(12), pages 1-44, December.
    4. Marcel Bausch & Johannes Niediek & Thomas P. Reber & Sina Mackay & Jan Boström & Christian E. Elger & Florian Mormann, 2021. "Concept neurons in the human medial temporal lobe flexibly represent abstract relations between concepts," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-12, December.

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