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Human memory strength is predicted by theta-frequency phase-locking of single neurons

Author

Listed:
  • Ueli Rutishauser

    (Computation and Neural Systems and Division of Biology,)

  • Ian B. Ross

    (Epilepsy & Brain Mapping Unit, Huntington Memorial Hospital, Pasadena, California 91105, USA)

  • Adam N. Mamelak

    (Epilepsy & Brain Mapping Unit, Huntington Memorial Hospital, Pasadena, California 91105, USA
    Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California 90048, USA)

  • Erin M. Schuman

    (Computation and Neural Systems and Division of Biology,
    Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA
    Present address: Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Max-von-Laue Strasse 3, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.)

Abstract

Making memories stick Work with epilepsy patients being assessed for surgical treatment with electrodes implanted in the hippocampus and amygdala shows that successful memory formation can be predicted by the degree of coordination of spike timing relative to the local theta oscillation. When more stereotyped spiking was recorded, the subjects were able to retrieve the associated memories with more confidence. Brain oscillations in the 3–8 Hz 'theta' frequency range had been thought to be associated with synaptic plasticity and behavioural experiments suggest they may relate to memory, but until now the relationship between single neuron activity, oscillations and behavioural learning was been unknown in humans. By identifying conditions conducive to memory formation, studies of this type might one day throw some light on strategies that might be used to optimize stimulus presentation in learning situations for humans.

Suggested Citation

  • Ueli Rutishauser & Ian B. Ross & Adam N. Mamelak & Erin M. Schuman, 2010. "Human memory strength is predicted by theta-frequency phase-locking of single neurons," Nature, Nature, vol. 464(7290), pages 903-907, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:464:y:2010:i:7290:d:10.1038_nature08860
    DOI: 10.1038/nature08860
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    Cited by:

    1. Eymann, Vera & Lachmann, Thomas & Beck, Ann-Kathrin & Czernochowski, Daniela, 2024. "EEG oscillatory evidence for the temporal dynamics of divergent and convergent thinking in the verbal knowledge domain," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    2. Sina Mackay & Thomas P. Reber & Marcel Bausch & Jan Boström & Christian E. Elger & Florian Mormann, 2024. "Concept and location neurons in the human brain provide the ‘what’ and ‘where’ in memory formation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    3. Marije ter Wal & Juan Linde-Domingo & Julia Lifanov & Frédéric Roux & Luca D. Kolibius & Stephanie Gollwitzer & Johannes Lang & Hajo Hamer & David Rollings & Vijay Sawlani & Ramesh Chelvarajah & Bernh, 2021. "Theta rhythmicity governs human behavior and hippocampal signals during memory-dependent tasks," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-15, December.
    4. Qin, Ying-Mei & Che, Yan-Qiu & Zhao, Jia, 2018. "Effects of degree distributions on signal propagation in noisy feedforward neural networks," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 512(C), pages 763-774.
    5. Weiwei Ding & Yuhong Zhang & Liya Huang, 2022. "Using a Novel Functional Brain Network Approach to Locate Important Nodes for Working Memory Tasks," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-14, March.
    6. Sazan Guri, 2015. "Public Spaces in the Focus of Citizen’s Right - Case Study - Urban Spaces Tirana," European Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies Articles, Revistia Research and Publishing, vol. 1, ejis_v1_i.
    7. Guillaume Etter & Suzanne Veldt & Jisoo Choi & Sylvain Williams, 2023. "Optogenetic frequency scrambling of hippocampal theta oscillations dissociates working memory retrieval from hippocampal spatiotemporal codes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-18, December.
    8. Manuela Costa & Diego Lozano-Soldevilla & Antonio Gil-Nagel & Rafael Toledano & Carina R. Oehrn & Lukas Kunz & Mar Yebra & Costantino Mendez-Bertolo & Lennart Stieglitz & Johannes Sarnthein & Nikolai , 2022. "Aversive memory formation in humans involves an amygdala-hippocampus phase code," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-16, December.
    9. Lin Zhang & Beibei Sun & Fei Shu & Ying Huang, 2022. "Comparing paper level classifications across different methods and systems: an investigation of Nature publications," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(12), pages 7633-7651, December.
    10. Serena Scarpelli & Chiara Bartolacci & Aurora D’Atri & Maurizio Gorgoni & Luigi De Gennaro, 2019. "Mental Sleep Activity and Disturbing Dreams in the Lifespan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-23, September.
    11. Cui, Kai & Li, Xinxue & Li, Gang, 2023. "What kind of fiscal policies and natural resources efficiency promotes green economic growth? Evidence from regression analysis," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PB).
    12. Tamara Gedankien & Ryan Joseph Tan & Salman Ehtesham Qasim & Haley Moore & David McDonagh & Joshua Jacobs & Bradley Lega, 2023. "Acetylcholine modulates the temporal dynamics of human theta oscillations during memory," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.

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