Have you ever struggled to recall details from a past vacation, only to unexpectedly remember them when you receive a seemingly unrelated cue from the original event? Researchers Juan Linde-Domingo, from the Mind, Brain, and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC, University of Granada), and Casper Kerrén, from the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, suggest this happens because the most effective cues for remembering something, as well as the memories themselves, change over time.
In their recent article published in the journal Hippocampus, the authors challenge the widely accepted "encoding specificity hypothesis," which states that retrieval cues must match the original encoding conditions. Instead, they propose the "Dynamic-Cueing Hypothesis." This hypothesis emphasizes that since memories are dynamic and undergo considerable transformation after being encoded, the cues needed to retrieve them must also adapt to the current state of those memories.
Imagine trying to remember your last trip to Italy. Initially, the memory of a sushi dinner in Rome might activate vivid images. However, months later, your brain might transform this memory into something more typically associated with Italy, such as having eaten cacio e pepe (a type of pasta), even though this never actually happened.
What would be the best cue to remember your trip to Rome – the pasta or the sushi? According to the traditional perspective, it should be sushi. However, an "incorrect" cue (a plate of cacio e pepe) might be more effective than the original information (sushi) in reactivating your memories of Rome.
Over time, memories transition from detailed, sensory-rich representations that depend on the hippocampus to more abstract and generalized forms stored in the cerebral cortex. Their hypothesis suggests that effective cues evolve similarly: from specific and detailed signals right after the event to more abstract and schema-compatible cues as time passes.
This perspective not only transforms our theoretical understanding but could also generate significant practical improvements. For example, adapting strategies for retrieving memories according to their current state could not only help change how memory reactivation is induced in the laboratory but also aid individuals with memory difficulties.
This work was supported by the Mind, Brain, and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), funded by MICIU/AEI and the University of Granada, as well as by the Max Planck Society.
Reference
Linde-Domingo, J., & Kerrén, C. (2025). Evolving engrams demand changes in effective cues. Hippocampus, 35, e70015. https://doi.org/10.1002/hipo.70015
Contact:
- Juan Linde-Domingo (lindedomingo@ugr.es)
- Casper Kerrén (kerren@cbs.mpg.de)