Hippocampal neurons code individual episodic memories in humans

Luca D. Kolibius (), Frederic Roux, George Parish, Marije Wal, Mircea Plas, Ramesh Chelvarajah, Vijay Sawlani, David T. Rollings, Johannes D. Lang, Stephanie Gollwitzer, Katrin Walther, Rüdiger Hopfengärtner, Gernot Kreiselmeyer, Hajo Hamer, Bernhard P. Staresina, Maria Wimber, Howard Bowman and Simon Hanslmayr ()
Additional contact information
Luca D. Kolibius: Columbia University
Frederic Roux: University of Birmingham
George Parish: University of Birmingham
Marije Wal: University of Birmingham
Mircea Plas: University of Glasgow
Ramesh Chelvarajah: University of Birmingham
Vijay Sawlani: Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham
David T. Rollings: Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham
Johannes D. Lang: University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
Stephanie Gollwitzer: University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
Katrin Walther: University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
Rüdiger Hopfengärtner: University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
Gernot Kreiselmeyer: University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
Hajo Hamer: University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
Bernhard P. Staresina: University of Oxford
Maria Wimber: University of Glasgow
Howard Bowman: University of Birmingham
Simon Hanslmayr: University of Glasgow

Nature Human Behaviour, 2023, vol. 7, issue 11, 1968-1979

Abstract: Abstract The hippocampus is an essential hub for episodic memory processing. However, how human hippocampal single neurons code multi-element associations remains unknown. In particular, it is debated whether each hippocampal neuron represents an invariant element within an episode or whether single neurons bind together all the elements of a discrete episodic memory. Here we provide evidence for the latter hypothesis. Using single-neuron recordings from a total of 30 participants, we show that individual neurons, which we term episode-specific neurons, code discrete episodic memories using either a rate code or a temporal firing code. These neurons were observed exclusively in the hippocampus. Importantly, these episode-specific neurons do not reflect the coding of a particular element in the episode (that is, concept or time). Instead, they code for the conjunction of the different elements that make up the episode.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01706-6

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