title: Initial investigation of the effects of an experimentally learned schema on spatial associative memory in humans.
abstract: Networks of interconnected neocortical representations of prior knowledge, "schemas," facilitate memory for congruent information. This facilitation is thought to be mediated by augmented encoding and accelerated consolidation. However, it is less clear how schema affects retrieval. Rodent and human studies to date suggest that schema-related memories are differently retrieved. However, these studies differ substantially as most human studies implement pre-experimental world-knowledge as schemas and tested item or nonspatial associative memory, whereas animal studies have used intraexperimental schemas based on item-location associations within a complex spatial layout that, in humans, could engage more strategic retrieval processes. Here, we developed a paradigm conceptually linked to rodent studies to examine the effects of an experimentally learned spatial associative schema on learning and retrieval of new object-location associations and to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying schema-related retrieval. Extending previous findings, we show that retrieval of schema-defining associations is related to activity along anterior and posterior midline structures and angular gyrus. The existence of such spatial associative schema resulted in more accurate learning and retrieval of new, related associations, and increased time allocated to retrieve these associations. This retrieval was associated with right dorsolateral prefrontal and lateral parietal activity, as well as interactions between the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and medial and lateral parietal regions, and between the medial prefrontal cortex and posterior midline regions, supporting the hypothesis that retrieval of new, schema-related object-location associations in humans also involves augmented monitoring and systematic search processes.
authors.affiliation: Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, and Departement for Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, m.vanbuuren@donders.ru.nl.
authors.forename: Mariët
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9330-5617
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Buuren
authors.affiliation: Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, the Netherlands, and.
authors.forename: Marijn C W
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kroes
authors.affiliation: Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, and Departement for Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Isabella C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cognitive and Neural Systems, The University of Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Genzel
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cognitive and Neural Systems, The University of Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Richard G M
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8661-1520
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, and Departement for Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Guillén
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fernández
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D065852:Spatial Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: fMRI; medial prefrontal cortex; memory retrieval; schema; spatial associative memory