Human Memory Retrieval and Inhibitory Control in the Brain: Beyond Correlational Evidence

• DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0349-14.2014
• Publication Date: 2014-05-07T17:38:19Z
• Authors: Barbara Penolazzi; Davide Francesco ...; Miriam Braga; Sara Mondini; Giovanni Galfano
• Keywords: Cognitive control; DLPFC; Inhibition; Memory; Retrieval; tDCS; Affect; Analysis of Variance; Arousal; Brain; Data Interpretation, Statistical; Decision Making; Electric Stimulation; Electrodes; Female; Functional Laterality; Humans; Male; Memory, Long-Term; Mental Recall; Photic Stimulation; Prefrontal Cortex; Single-Blind Method; Young Adult; Neuroscience (all); Male; Memory, Long-Term; Electrode; Decision Making; Prefrontal Cortex; DLPFC; tDCS; Functional Laterality; Young Adult; Memory; Cognitive control,; DLPFC,; Inhibition,; Memory,; Retrieval; tDCS; Humans; Single-Blind Method; 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences; Electrodes; Inhibition; Analysis of Variance; Neuroscience (all); Retrieval; 05 social sciences; Brain; Electric Stimulation; Affect; Data Interpretation, Statistical; Cognitive control; Mental Recall; Female; Arousal; Photic Stimulation; Human

Retrieving information from long-term memory can result in the episodic forgetting of related material. One influential account states that this retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF) phenomenon reflects inhibitory mechanisms called into play to decrease retrieval competition. Recent neuroimaging studies suggested that the prefrontal cortex, which is critically engaged in inhibitory processing, is also involved in retrieval competition situations. Here, we used transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to address whether inhibitory processes could be causally linked to RIF. tDCS was administered over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during the retrieval-practice phase in a standard retrieval-practice paradigm. Sixty human participants were randomly assigned to anodal, cathodal, or sham-control groups. The groups showed comparable benefits for practiced items. In contrast, unlike both the sham and anodal groups, the cathodal group exhibited no RIF. This pattern is interpreted as evidence for a causal role of inhibitory mechanisms in episodic retrieval and forgetting.