On the contribution of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex to the neural representation of past memories

Abstract

Tallman and colleagues (this issue) showed that memory consolidation of laboratory materials produces, even at short intervals, changes in cortical activity within a widespread network of brain regions. These changes, however, do not encompass a core memory region, namely the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). Here, I discuss research showing that the neural activity of the vmPFC is sensitive to the remoteness of memories, especially using tasks that involve autobiographical recollection. Taken together, these findings appear to highlight a differential contribution of the vmPFC according to the nature of the to-be-remembered material (laboratory vs. autobiographical) that might be further investigated by future research.

Keywords: Ventromedial prefrontal cortex; autobiographical recollection; consolidation; functional connectivity; functional magnetic resonance imaging; multivoxel pattern analysis; retrieval.