Neural and behavioral reinstatement jointly reflect retrieval of narrative events

Matthias Nau (), Austin Greene, Hannah Tarder-Stoll, Juan Antonio Lossio-Ventura, Francisco Pereira, Janice Chen, Christopher Baldassano and Chris I. Baker
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Matthias Nau: National Institutes of Health
Austin Greene: National Institutes of Health
Hannah Tarder-Stoll: Columbia University
Juan Antonio Lossio-Ventura: National Institutes of Health
Francisco Pereira: National Institutes of Health
Janice Chen: Johns Hopkins University
Christopher Baldassano: Columbia University
Chris I. Baker: National Institutes of Health

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Abstract When recalling past events, patterns of gaze position and neural activity resemble those observed during the original experience. We hypothesized that these two phenomena, known as gaze reinstatement and neural reactivation, are linked through a common process that underlies the reinstatement of past experiences during memory retrieval. Here, we tested this proposal based on the viewing and recall of a narrative movie, which we assessed through functional magnetic resonance imaging, deep learning-based gaze prediction, and language modeling of spoken recall. In line with key predictions, gaze behavior adhered to the same principles as neural activity; it was event-specific, robust across individuals, and generalized across viewing and recall. Additionally, gaze-dependent brain activity overlapped substantially across tasks. Collectively, these results suggest that retrieval engages mechanisms similar to those that direct our eyes during natural vision, reflecting common constraints within the functional organization of the nervous system. Moreover, they highlight the importance of considering behavioral and neural reinstatement together in our understanding of remembering.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-62375-9

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