The Neural Mechanism of Memory Encoding

Abstract

Memory encoding is a part of the process of memory. It is the initial stage of learning information and encoding them from different sensory inputs into the brain. Much previous research has demonstrated the crucial role of memory encoding for Alzheimer's patients and schizophrenia patients in cognition. However, most research was focused on memory retrieval, especially from the perspective of working memory and implicit memory. Our review aims to identify the role of memory encoding by reviewing studies of the hippocampus and amygdala in the medial temporal lobe (MTL), also applying several animal studies and then discuss how interventions can improve memory encoding with changes of neural mechanism. However, most literature reviews in the past only focus on memory encoding itself, ignoring its communication with other mental activities. Most experiment designs in previous research utilize cross-sectional studies and only concentrate on a single hippocampal intervention, which makes them unable to afford a whole picture of hippocampal memory encoding. Future research could pay more attention to investigating the connections between memory encoding and cognitive abilities, and improve the current cognitive training to help people suffering from Alzheimer's or other diseases with cognitive impairment.