How prediction error drives memory updating: role of locus coeruleus-hippocampal interactions

The brain constantly generates predictions based on one's knowledge of the world, as captured in memory. When these predictions are in error, our knowledge base must be revised to remain relevant. Here, we propose that this error-driven updating of memory depends largely on the interplay between the hippocampus and locus coeruleus (LC), during which the former conveys information about surprise to the latter, signaling the magnitude of prediction error. Small prediction errors promote editing of existing memories, whereas large prediction errors lead to the formation of new episodic memories. We suggest that this memory curation process is central to adaptive behavior, extending classical views on the contributions of the LC to cognition.