Remembering to attend: the anterior cingulate cortex and remote memory.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Memory Research

Background:

• Hippocampal damage causes amnesia, suggesting long-term memory storage shifts to cortical networks.
• The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is increasingly linked to remote memory recall.
• Rodent studies show ACC involvement in recalling older, but not recent, learned behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review evidence implicating the ACC in remote memory recall.
• To explore established ACC functions in attention and premotor planning.
• To synthesize these roles and understand the ACC's contribution to memory consolidation.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies on ACC function in memory, attention, and motor planning.
• Emphasis on rodent models for direct comparison of memory recall timelines.
• Analysis of data assessing ACC function at different post-learning intervals.

Main Results:

• The ACC is necessary for recalling remote memories (e.g., learned >1 month ago).
• The ACC plays established roles in attention and premotor planning.
• Evidence suggests a potential connection between these ACC functions.

Conclusions:

• The ACC's role in remote memory recall may be linked to its functions in attention and planning.
• A unified view of ACC function may integrate memory consolidation with other cognitive processes.
• Further research can clarify how the ACC supports the transition of memories from hippocampal to cortical storage.