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The contribution of the human posterior parietal cortex to episodic memory

Nature Reviews Neuroscience volume 18, pages 183–192 (2017)Cite this article

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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.

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Figure 1: Perceptual attention and episodic memory retrieval in the PPC: segregation and competition.
Figure 2: Different roles for the AG and latIPS during episodic memory retrieval.
Figure 3: Distinction between perceptual and memory-based decision making.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the J. S. McDonnell Foundation and by US National Institutes of Health (grant RO1 NS095741) to M.C.

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  1. Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Institute of Advanced Biomedical Technologies, University of Chieti, Chieti, 66100, Italy

    Carlo Sestieri

  2. Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, 63110, Missouri, USA

    Gordon L. Shulman

  3. Department of Neuroscience, Italy; at the Department of Neurology, University of Padua, 35122 Padua, Radiology, Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.,

    Maurizio Corbetta

  4. the Department of Neurology, Radiology, Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.,

    Maurizio Corbetta

Authors
  1. Carlo Sestieri
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  2. Gordon L. Shulman
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  3. Maurizio Corbetta
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carlo Sestieri.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Sestieri, C., Shulman, G. & Corbetta, M. The contribution of the human posterior parietal cortex to episodic memory. Nat Rev Neurosci 18, 183–192 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn.2017.6

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