Shared memories reveal shared structure in neural activity across individuals by Maria Zernaeva Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 2016

Introduction We tend to think of our memories as unique, but in fact memories are often shared rather than idiosyncratic If two people freely describe the same event, how similar (across brains) are the neural codes elicited by that event?

Methods

Methods 17 people for focus group Participants viewed a 50-min movie Then verbally described the events during functional MRI, producing unguided detailed descriptions lasting up to 40 min Event-specific spatial patterns were reinstated in default-network, medial-temporal, and high-level visual areas

Results

Results

Results

Conclusion   Human brains have much in common with one another not only in terms of anatomy, but also functional organization  Having a common framework for remembering makes it easier to communicate our memories to others, and that's a powerful thing that human beings can do

Questions?