Murray E A, Bussey T J
Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-4415, USA.
Hippocampus. 2001;11(1):1-7. doi: 10.1002/1098-1063(2001)11:1<1::AID-HIPO1014>3.0.CO;2-V.
It is widely believed that new memories are stored in the medial temporal lobe structures in the short term, but then are reorganized over time as the neocortex gradually comes to support stable long-term storage. On this view, the medial temporal lobe structures play a time-limited role in information storage. This putative process of reorganization, known as consolidation, is supported by some clinical findings in humans and by some data from nonhuman animals. Here we review prospective studies of retrograde memory in nonhuman animals, with particular emphasis on experimental design. In considering the evidence for a time-limited role for the medial temporal lobe in information storage, we note that there are alternative interpretations for at least some of the findings typically cited in support of the consolidation process. In addition, we suggest that some studies arguing against the consolidation view should probably be given more weight than they have so far received. Finally, we observe that different structures in the medial temporal lobe are unlikely to operate together as a single functional unit mediating a single consolidation process. Although evidence for a time-limited role for medial temporal lobe structures in memory is at present equivocal, future studies that consider some of the alternative accounts we and others have identified will provide a clearer picture of the mechanisms underlying information storage and retrieval in the brain.
人们普遍认为，新记忆在短期内存储于内侧颞叶结构中，但随着时间推移，这些记忆会重新组织，因为新皮层逐渐开始支持稳定的长期存储。按照这种观点，内侧颞叶结构在信息存储中发挥着时间有限的作用。这种假定的重新组织过程，即巩固，得到了一些人类临床发现以及一些非人类动物数据的支持。在此，我们回顾非人类动物逆行性记忆的前瞻性研究，特别强调实验设计。在考虑内侧颞叶在信息存储中具有时间有限作用的证据时，我们注意到，对于至少一些通常被引用来支持巩固过程的发现，存在其他解释。此外，我们认为，一些反对巩固观点的研究可能应比目前受到的重视程度更高。最后，我们观察到，内侧颞叶中的不同结构不太可能作为介导单一巩固过程的单个功能单元共同运作。尽管目前内侧颞叶结构在记忆中具有时间有限作用的证据尚不明确，但未来考虑我们和其他人所确定的一些替代解释的研究，将更清晰地描绘大脑中信息存储和检索的潜在机制。
