Understanding How the Brain Retrieves Facts May Help Treat Memory Disorders

A study in Nature Communications from scientists at the University of York may be relevant to memory disorders, including dementia, where problems recalling relevant information can affect daily life, reports Technology Networks . The brain's long-term memories are categorized as either factual memory or memory of personal experiences, which together help people understand and respond to the surrounding world. The study suggests a shared brain mechanism is critical to controlling the successful retrieval of weak memories, and activity in a set of common brain regions increases when participants retrieve fact and personal memories. "In order to generate appropriate thoughts and behaviors, we have to draw on our memory stores in a highly flexible way," said University of York Professor Elizabeth Jefferies. "This new study highlights control processes within the brain that allow us to focus on unusual aspects of the meanings of words and to retrieve weakly encoded personal experiences. This control over memory allows us to be creative and to adapt as our goals or circumstances change."