Guiding Perception by Memories of Multiple Timescales
Brain and Cognition Lab, University of Oxford2021
- Our brain is extraordinary at matching incoming sensory signals to past experiences, which guides selective attention and allows us to behave adaptively and dynamically based on predictions and expectations. Memories of different timescales are involved in guiding perception and performance. For instance, when cycling to work, you are not only using long-term memories (LTM) of the spatial map and cycling route to guide your direction, but also relying on current working memories (WM) of traffic lights, pedestrians and cars on the road to adjust your speed or re-plan the route.
- However, we still lack a clear understanding of how these memories of different timescales work together to guide adaptive behaviour, and neither do we know the underlying neural mechanisms.
- This study aims to elucidate how the prospective nature of memory operates in a multi-timescale and interactive way, and what brain processes are involved in doing so.
- Part of the funding of this research comes from UKRI (UK Research and Innovation). An overview of this research on UKRI website can be found here.