The Dynamics of Representational Change Underlying Recall

Conditions

• Episodic Memory

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

18 Years - 40 Years

Healthy Volunteers

Accepted

Interventions

• Visual Memory Encoding and Retrieval Task During fMRI — BEHAVIORAL
  Participants will study cue-stimulus associations and subsequently retrieve the associated stimuli while undergoing fMRI scanning. Retrieval will occur under two conditions: (1) repeated retrieval, in which stimuli are recalled five times, and (2) control retrieval, in which stimuli are recalled twice with timing matched to the repeated condition. Neural activity patterns during study and recall will be measured using BOLD fMRI.

Study Details

The goal of this clinical trial is to examine how repeated memory retrieval changes visual representations in the brain in healthy adult participants. Specifically, the study aims to determine whether repeated recall strengthens or transforms neural representations in visual cortex compared to a time-matched control condition. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1) Does repeated retrieval produce cumulative changes in visual cortical representations compared to a control condition matched for elapsed time? 2) Do these representational changes differ for simple spatial stimuli and complex natural images? Researchers will compare neural activity patterns during repeated retrieval to those during a control retrieval condition to determine whether repeated recall leads to systematic changes in representational structure beyond those attributable to the passage of time. Participants will: 1) complete two fMRI sessions. 2) Undergo a localizer session including anatomical imaging, population receptive field (pRF) mapping, and a visual category localizer task. 3) Study cue-stimulus pairs consisting of either simple spatial patterns or natural images. 4) Recall previously studied stimuli multiple times during repeated and control retrieval conditions while undergoing fMRI scanning. Brain activity patterns during study and recall will be compared to assess how repeated retrieval influences the structure and tuning of visual representations.

Key Dates

Start date

Feb 3, 2026

Status verified

Feb 2026

Primary completion

Aug 31, 2026

Completion

Aug 31, 2026

Study Design

Enrollment

30 participants (estimated)

Allocation

NA

Intervention model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Arms

• Experimental: Experimental Memory Retrieval Task
  All participants will complete a visual memory encoding and retrieval task during fMRI scanning. The study uses a within-subject design in which each participant completes both a repeated retrieval condition and a time-matched control retrieval condition. This design allows comparison of neural representational changes associated with repeated retrieval while controlling for elapsed time.

Primary Outcome Measure

Representational Change in Visual Cortex [ Time Frame: 1 hour ]

Central Contacts

• Serra E Favila, PhD
  (401) 863-3486
  [email protected]

Locations (1)

Find similar trials in Providence, RI

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