Dissociable contributions of medial parietal cortex to recognition memory

Abstract

Human neuroimaging studies of episodic memory retrieval routinely observe the engagement of specific cortical regions beyond the medial temporal lobe. Of these, medial parietal cortex (MPC) is of particular interest given its distinct functional characteristics during different retrieval tasks. Specifically, while recognition and autobiographical recall tasks are both used to probe episodic retrieval, these paradigms consistently drive distinct spatial patterns of response within MPC. However, other studies have emphasized alternate MPC functional dissociations in terms of brain network connectivity profiles or stimulus category selectivity. As the unique contributions of MPC to episodic memory remain unclear, adjudicating between these different accounts can provide better consensus regarding MPC function. Therefore, we used a precision-neuroimaging dataset (7T functional magnetic resonance imaging) to examine how MPC regions are differentially engaged during recognition memory and how these task-related dissociations may also reflect distinct connectivity and stimulus category functional profiles. We observed interleaved, though spatially distinct, subregions of MPC where responses were sensitive to either recognition decisions or the semantic representation of stimuli. In addition, this dissociation was further accentuated by functional subregions displaying distinct profiles of connectivity with the hippocampus during task and rest. Finally, we show that recent observations of dissociable person and place selectivity within the MPC reflect category-specific responses from within identified semantic regions that are sensitive to mnemonic demands. Together, by examining precision functional mapping within individuals, these data suggest that previously distinct observations of functional dissociation within MPC conform to a common principle of organization throughout hippocampal–neocortical memory systems.