Moscovitch Morris, Gilboa Asaf
Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Fac Rev. 2022 Nov 22;11:33. doi: 10.12703/r/11-33. eCollection 2022.
Systems consolidation has mostly been treated as a neural construct defined by the time-dependent change in memory representation from the hippocampus (HPC) to other structures, primarily the neocortex. Here, we identify and evaluate the explicit and implicit premises that underlie traditional or standard models and theories of systems consolidation based on evidence from research on humans and other animals. We use the principle that changes in neural representation over time and experience are accompanied by corresponding changes in psychological representations, and vice versa, to argue that each of the premises underlying traditional or standard models and theories of systems consolidation is found wanting. One solution is to modify or abandon the premises or theories and models. This is reflected in moderated models of systems consolidation that emphasize the early role of the HPC in training neocortical memories until they stabilize. The fault, however, may lie in the very concept of systems consolidation and its defining feature. We propose that the concept be replaced by one of memory systems reorganization, which does not carry the theoretical baggage of systems consolidation and is flexible enough to capture the dynamic nature of memory from inception to very long-term retention and retrieval at a psychological and neural level. The term "memory system reorganization" implies that memory traces are not fixed, even after they are presumably consolidated. Memories can continue to change as a result of experience and interactions among memory systems across the lifetime. As will become clear, hippocampal training of neocortical memories is only one type of such interaction, and not always the most important one, even at inception. We end by suggesting some principles of memory reorganization that can help guide research on dynamic memory processes that capture corresponding changes in memory at the psychological and neural levels.
系统巩固大多被视为一种神经结构，由记忆表征从海马体（HPC）到其他结构（主要是新皮层）随时间的变化所定义。在此，我们基于对人类和其他动物的研究证据，识别并评估构成传统或标准系统巩固模型及理论基础的显性和隐性前提。我们运用这样一个原则，即随着时间和经验，神经表征的变化伴随着心理表征的相应变化，反之亦然，来论证传统或标准系统巩固模型及理论的每个前提都存在不足。一种解决方案是修改或摒弃这些前提、理论和模型。这体现在系统巩固的适度模型中，这些模型强调海马体在训练新皮层记忆直至其稳定方面的早期作用。然而，问题可能恰恰在于系统巩固这一概念及其定义特征。我们提议用记忆系统重组的概念取而代之，该概念没有系统巩固的理论包袱，并且足够灵活，能够在心理和神经层面从记忆的起始到非常长期的保留和检索捕捉记忆的动态本质。“记忆系统重组”这一术语意味着记忆痕迹并非固定不变，即使在它们大概已经巩固之后也是如此。记忆会因一生中记忆系统之间的经验和相互作用而持续变化。正如将会清楚看到的，海马体对新皮层记忆的训练只是这种相互作用的一种类型，而且即使在起始阶段也不总是最重要的一种。我们最后提出一些记忆重组原则，这些原则有助于指导对动态记忆过程的研究，这些研究能在心理和神经层面捕捉记忆的相应变化。
