title: The contribution of the human posterior parietal cortex to episodic memory.
abstract: The posterior parietal cortex (PPC) is traditionally associated with attention, perceptual decision making and sensorimotor transformations, but more recent human neuroimaging studies support an additional role in episodic memory retrieval. In this Opinion article, we present a functional-anatomical model of the involvement of the PPC in memory retrieval. Parietal regions involved in perceptual attention and episodic memory are largely segregated and often show a push-pull relationship, potentially mediated by prefrontal regions. Moreover, different PPC regions carry out specific functions during retrieval - for example, representing retrieved information, recoding this information based on task demands, or accumulating evidence for memory decisions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Institute of Advanced Biomedical Technologies, University of Chieti, 66100 Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sestieri
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Gordon L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Shulman
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua, 35122 Padua, Italy; at the Department of Neurology, Radiology, Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Corbetta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*