When Keeping in Mind Supports Later Bringing to Mind: Neural Markers of Phonological Rehearsal Predict Subsequent Remembering

Davachi, Lila; Maril, Anat; Wagner, Anthony D. · 2001 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1162/089892901753294356

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Summary

This study investigates the relationship between working memory maintenance processes and long-term memory formation, specifically addressing whether phonological rehearsal (rote repetition) contributes to subsequent remembering. Contrary to the prevalent view that rote rehearsal is ineffective for encoding durable memories, the authors hypothesized that neural markers of phonological maintenance predict later memory performance. The research utilized event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine neural activation during encoding and its correlation with subsequent recognition memory. Participants performed two tasks while being scanned: a "Rote" task requiring covert rehearsal of word triplets, and an "Elaborative" (Elab) task requiring semantic processing (ordering words by desirability). After scanning, memory was assessed via a yes/no item recognition test. The fMRI data were analyzed using a subsequent memory paradigm, sorting trials based on whether items were later remembered or forgotten. Regions of interest (ROIs) included neural areas previously associated with phonological working memory (left posterior inferior prefrontal cortex [pLIPC], supplementary motor area [SMA], bilateral superior parietal cortex, and left cerebellum) and semantic retrieval (anterior left inferior prefrontal cortex [aLIPC]). Behavioral results confirmed that elaborative rehearsal yielded superior recognition memory compared to rote rehearsal. Crucially, fMRI analyses revealed that the magnitude of activation in the phonological rehearsal network (pLIPC, SMA, bilateral parietal, and cerebellar regions) during the Rote task was positively correlated with subsequent memory performance. Trials from which more items were later remembered exhibited greater activation in these regions than trials from which fewer items were remembered. Additionally, while the aLIPC (associated with semantic elaboration) was not significantly activated on average during the Rote task, trial-by-trial variations in aLIPC activation also predicted subsequent memory for rote-rehearsed items. In contrast, activation in these phonological regions during the Elab task did not predict subsequent memory, likely due to response saturation. The findings challenge the assumption that rote rehearsal does not impact learning. The study demonstrates that engagement of phonological maintenance mechanisms supports episodic encoding, such that greater neural recruitment during rote rehearsal leads to better subsequent remembering. Furthermore, incidental semantic elaboration, even when not required by the task, also enhances memory. These results suggest that both phonological maintenance and semantic elaboration contribute to the formation of durable memory representations, providing neural evidence that "keeping in mind" via phonological rehearsal facilitates "bringing to mind" later.

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• long term semantic memory
• working memory