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Updated: Aug 31, 2025

Assessment of Stress Effects on Cognitive Flexibility using an Operant Strategy Shifting Paradigm
Published on: May 4, 2020
Flexibility of memory for future-oriented cognition
1Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 3G3, Canada; Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 3G3, Canada; Neuroscience Program, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 3G3, Canada.
Abstract:
Memories of daily experiences contain incidental details unique to each experience as well as common latent patterns shared with others. Neural representations focusing on the latter aspect can be reinstated by similar new experiences even though their perceptual features do not match the original experiences perfectly. Such flexible memory use allows for faster learning and better decision-making in novel situations. Here, I review evidence from rodent and primate electrophysiological studies to discuss how memory flexibility is implemented in the spiking activity of neuronal ensembles. These findings uncovered innate and learned coding properties and their potential refinement during sleep that support flexible integration and application of memories for better future adaptation.
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