I am interested in
exploring how brain activity, and specifically activity in
the medial temporal lobe and its associated cortical
network, anticipates future events. Recent studies in
rats show that medial temporal lobe activity anticipates
future events during navigation (preplay). Using
function MRI, I will test in humans whether brain activity,
including medial temporal lobe activity, anticipates future
events during navigation through a virtual environment.
Further, I will test whether that activity predicts
behavioral outcome within individuals and also if
anticipatory activity predicts performance across
individuals.
Shrager,
Y., Kirwan, C.B. & Squire, L.R. (2008). Activity in
both hippocampus and perirhinal cortex predicts the memory
strength of subsequently remembered information.
Neuron, 59(4):
547 - 53.
[medline abstract]
Shrager, Y., Kirwan, C.B. & Squire, L.R. (2008). The
neural basis of the cognitive map: path integration does
not require hippocampus or entorhinal cortex.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A,
105(33): 12034 - 8.
[medline abstract]
Shrager, Y., Levy, D.A., Hopkins, R.O. & Squire, L.R.
(2008). Working memory and the organization of brain
systems.
Journal of Neuroscience, 28(18):
4818 - 22. [medline abstract]
