Neural and cognitive dynamics leading to the formation of strong memories: A meta-analysis and the SAM model

Abstract The subsequent memory paradigm is a fundamental tool in neuroimaging investigations of encoding processes. Although some studies have contrasted remembered trials with forgotten ones, others have focused on strongly remembered trials versus forgotten ones. This study employed a meta-analytic approach to juxtapose the effects observed in the two types of contrast. Three distinct perspectives on memory formation—semantic elaboration, attentional focus, and hippocampal processing—yield diverse hypotheses about the regions responsible for the formation of strong memories. The meta-analysis yielded evidence supporting the attentional and semantic hypotheses while failing to substantiate the hippocampal hypothesis. The discussion section integrates these varied perspectives into a coherent view, culminating in the proposal of a model called the Significance-driven and Attention-driven Memory (SAM). Several pivotal postulates underpin the SAM model. First, it establishes a link between fluctuations in the trial-to-trial encoding performance and continuous variations in sustained attention. Second, the model contends that attention exerts a potent influence on both perceptual and semantic processing, while its impact on hippocampal processing remains moderate. Lastly, the model accentuates the heightened role of the hippocampus in significance-driven encoding, as opposed to attention-driven encoding. From a specific perspective, the model’s value lies in promoting a holistic understanding of the current extensive meta-analytic results. In a more comprehensive context, the model introduces an integrated framework that synthesizes various encoding-related cognitive and neural processes into a cohesive and unified perspective.