Abstract

Recognition memory is widely viewed as consisting of two components, recollection and familiarity, which have been proposed to be dependent on the hippocampus and the adjacent perirhinal cortex, respectively. Here, we propose an alternative perspective: we suggest that the methods traditionally used to separate recollection from familiarity instead separate strong memories from weak memories. A review of work with humans, monkeys and rodents finds evidence for familiarity signals (as well as recollection signals) in the hippocampus and recollection signals (as well as familiarity signals) in the perirhinal cortex. We also indicate ways in which the functions of the medial temporal lobe structures are different, and suggest that these structures work together in a cooperative and complementary way.

Author affiliations

1. Veterans Affairs Medical Center (116A), 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, California 92161, USA.
2. Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093, USA.
3. Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093, USA.
4. Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093, USA.

Correspondence to: Larry R. Squire^1,2,3,4 Email: lsquire@ucsd.edu

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