Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Using Fiberless, Wearable fNIRS to Monitor Brain Activity in Real-world Cognitive Tasks
Published on: December 2, 2015
Neurocognitive systems related to real-world prospective memory
Grégoria Kalpouzos1, Johan Eriksson, Daniel Sjölie
1Physiology Section, Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. gregoria.kalpouzos@ki.se
Background:
Prospective memory (PM) denotes the ability to remember to perform actions in the future. It has been argued that standard laboratory paradigms fail to capture core aspects of PM.
Methodology/Principal Findings:
We combined functional MRI, virtual reality, eye-tracking and verbal reports to explore the dynamic allocation of neurocognitive processes during a naturalistic PM task where individuals performed errands in a realistic model of their residential town. Based on eye movement data and verbal reports, we modeled PM as an iterative loop of five sustained and transient phases: intention maintenance before target detection (TD), TD, intention maintenance after TD, action, and switching, the latter representing the activation of a new intention in mind. The fMRI analyses revealed continuous engagement of a top-down fronto-parietal network throughout the entire task, likely subserving goal maintenance in mind. In addition, a shift was observed from a perceptual (occipital) system while searching for places to go, to a mnemonic (temporo-parietal, fronto-hippocampal) system for remembering what actions to perform after TD. Updating of the top-down fronto-parietal network occurred at both TD and switching, the latter likely also being characterized by frontopolar activity.
Conclusion/Significance:
Taken together, these findings show how brain systems complementary interact during real-world PM, and support a more complete model of PM that can be applied to naturalistic PM tasks and that we named PROspective MEmory DYnamic (PROMEDY) model because of its dynamics on both multi-phase iteration and the interactions of distinct neurocognitive networks.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Working Memory
Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory
Implicit Memories
One key aspect of implicit...
Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory
Interference and Decay
Interference occurs when competing memories hinder the retrieval of particular information. It can be classified into two types: proactive and retroactive interference. Proactive...
System of Memory
