Feindel Brain and Mind Seminar Series: Cortico-hippocampal organization and dynamics influence memory for complex events
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Alex Barnett
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology, University of Toronto, Canada
Abstract: According to most memory theories, encoding involves continuous communication between the hippocampus and neocortex leaving the temporal dynamics of hippocampal-neocortical interactions overlooked. Recent work has shown that we perceive events in our lives as dynamic, with distinct starting and stopping points known as event boundaries that are critical for memory formation. Our objective was to determine how functional connectivity (FC) between the hippocampus and neocortical regions during the encoding of naturalistic events related to subsequent retrieval of those events. Participants encoded and recalled two cartoon movies during fMRI scanning. Higher FC between the hippocampus and the posterior medial network (PMN) at an event's offset related to subsequent recall of that event. Furthermore, hippocampal-PMN offset connectivity also predicted the degree to which events could be recalled in detail after a 2-day delay. These data demonstrate that the relationship between memory encoding and hippocampal-neocortical interaction is dynamic and biased towards boundaries.
Bio: Dr. Barnett completed his B.Sc., M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of Toronto. Before returning to UofT as faculty, Dr. Barnett was a Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of California, at Davis. Dr. Barnett’s research incorporates elements of systems neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and clinical neuropsychology in creative ways to expand our understanding of episodic memory. His research explores how neocortical networks in the brain interact with the hippocampus to support the formation, retrieval, and transformation of episodic memories. He is interested in applying this knowledge to examine how alterations in network communication impact memory in populations with memory impairment.
The Feindel Brain and Mind Seminar Series will advance the vision of Dr. William Feindel (1918–2014), Former Director of the Neuro (1972–1984), to constantly bridge the clinical and research realms. The talks will highlight the latest advances and discoveries in neuropsychology, cognitive neuroscience, and neuroimaging.
Speakers will include scientists from across The Neuro, as well as colleagues and collaborators locally and from around the world. The series is intended to provide a virtual forum for scientists and trainees to continue to foster interdisciplinary exchanges on the mechanisms, diagnosis and treatment of brain and cognitive disorders.
