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A Prediction Error-driven Retrieval Procedure for Destabilizing and Rewriting Maladaptive Reward Memories in Hazardous Drinkers
Published on: January 5, 2018
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Retroactive and graded prioritization of memory by reward
Erin Kendall Braun1, G Elliott Wimmer2, Daphna Shohamy3,4
1Department of Psychology, Columbia University, 406 Schermerhorn Hall, 1190 Amsterdam Ave MC 5501, New York, NY, 10027, USA. eb2464@columbia.edu.
Nature Communications
|November 22, 2018
Summary
Reward retroactively prioritizes memory for events closest to it, shaping our internal world model. This memory prioritization effect emerges after a 24-hour delay, aiding adaptive decision-making.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neurobiology
- Decision Science
Background:
- Internal world models guide decision-making.
- Mechanisms of memory construction and representation remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate how reward shapes memory for sequential events.
- Test if reward retroactively prioritizes memory based on proximity.
Main Methods:
- Human participants explored mazes, encountering neutral objects.
- Memory for objects was assessed after a 24-hour delay.
- Data analyzed across six datasets to identify reward's influence on memory.
Main Results:
- Reward systematically modulated memory for neutral objects.
- Objects closest to reward were prioritized in memory.
- Memory prioritization emerged after a 24-hour delay and was enhanced by longer rest intervals.
Conclusions:
- Reward retroactively prioritizes memory along a sequential gradient.
- Findings support a role for post-reward replay and overnight consolidation.
- Memory's role in supporting adaptive decision-making is highlighted.
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