title: Mnemonic Training Reshapes Brain Networks to Support Superior Memory.
abstract: Memory skills strongly differ across the general population; however, little is known about the brain characteristics supporting superior memory performance. Here we assess functional brain network organization of 23 of the world's most successful memory athletes and matched controls with fMRI during both task-free resting state baseline and active memory encoding. We demonstrate that, in a group of naive controls, functional connectivity changes induced by 6 weeks of mnemonic training were correlated with the network organization that distinguishes athletes from controls. During rest, this effect was mainly driven by connections between rather than within the visual, medial temporal lobe and default mode networks, whereas during task it was driven by connectivity within these networks. Similarity with memory athlete connectivity patterns predicted memory improvements up to 4 months after training. In conclusion, mnemonic training drives distributed rather than regional changes, reorganizing the brain's functional network organization to enable superior memory performance.
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 EN Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: martin.dresler@donders.ru.nl.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dresler
authors.affiliation: Functional Imaging in Neuropsychiatric Disorders (FIND) Lab, Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: William R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Shirer
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 EN Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Boris N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Konrad
authors.affiliation: Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 EN Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Nils C J
authors.initials: NCJ
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 EN Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Isabella C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.affiliation: Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 EN Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Guillén
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Czisch
authors.affiliation: Functional Imaging in Neuropsychiatric Disorders (FIND) Lab, Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Greicius
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: brain networks; cognitive training; dynamics; memory; memory championships; memory sports; method of loci; mnemonic; resting state