Decomposing memory: functional assignments and brain traffic in paired word associate learning.

Abstract

The recent covariance structural equation model for word-pair associate encoding and retrieval (Krause, Horwitz, Taylor, Schmidt, Mottaghy, Halsband et al., 1998; Krause, Horwitz, Taylor, Schmidt, Mottaghy, Herzog et al., 1999) is analysed to deduce possible functional assignments of the various brain modules used by subjects in solving the task. Specific processing aspects are considered, in particular, that of long-term working memory sites and how they are coupled to buffer working memory sites to enable deposition and manipulation of remembered associates. The new concept of 'brain traffic' is introduced as an aid to the assessment of how important are various brain modules. A set of functional assignments is produced for the relevant modules.