Numerosity and the consolidation of episodic memory

Abstract

Consolidation, the process by which episodic and other memories acquire permanence, is currently a particularly significant research topic. The final aspect of consolidation is the process culminating in the fixation of links between neocortical representations. Fixation is determined by interaction between the significance level and frequency of repetition of episodic sequences. The process of assessing frequency, as distinct from setting the frequency criterion, provides the focus of our current work. A Ca2' based signaling mechanism has potential relevance to the design of a model of a temporally extended consolidation process. Data on the transition from egg to embryo suggest the existence of mechanisms capable of extended numerosity detection. A model of frequency detection in consolidation based on the registration of Ca2' transients or waves is presented and illustrated in a loose simulation of embryonic signaling. Its features are consistent with the wide, temporal flexibility required to fit data from animal and human subjects.