Functional neuroimaging studies of episodic recognition demonstrate an increased lateral parietal response for studied versus new materials, often termed a retrieval success effect. Using a novel memory analog of attentional cueing, we manipulated the correspondence between anticipated and actual recognition evidence by presenting valid or invalid anticipatory cues (e.g., "likely old") before recognition judgments. Although a superior parietal region demonstrated the retrieval success pattern, a larger inferior parietal lobule (IPL) region tracked the validity of the memory cueing (invalid cueing Ͼ valid cueing) and no retrieval success-sensitive lateral parietal region was insensitive to cueing. The invalid cueing response occurred even for correctly identified new items unlikely to trigger substantive episodic retrieval. Within the IPL, although supramarginal and angular gyrus (SMG; AG) regions both demonstrated invalid cueing amplitude elevations, each region differentially coupled with distinct cortical networks when unexpectedly old items were encountered; a connectivity pattern also observed at rest in the same subjects. These findings jointly suggest that the lateral parietal response during recognition does not signify the recovery of episodic content, but is a marker of the violation of memory expectations. A second independent dataset confirmed this interpretation by demonstrating that SMG activation tracked the decision biases of observers, not their accuracy, with increased activation for nondominant recognition judgments. The expectancy violation interpretation of the lateral parietal recognition response is consistent with the literature on visual search and oddball paradigms and suggests that damage to these regions should impair memory-linked orienting behavior and not retrieval per se.

Theories of autobiographical memory emphasise effortful, generative search processes in memory retrieval. However recent research suggests that memories are often retrieved directly, without effortful search. We investigated whether direct and generative retrieval differed in the characteristics of memories recalled, or only in terms of retrieval latency. Participants recalled autobiographical memories in response to cue words. For each memory, they reported whether it was retrieved directly or generatively, rated its visuo-spatial perspective, and judged its accompanying recollective experience. Our results indicated that direct retrieval was commonly reported and was faster than generative retrieval, replicating recent findings. The characteristics of directly retrieved memories differed from generatively retrieved memories: directly retrieved memories had higher field perspective ratings and lower observer perspective ratings. However, retrieval mode did not influence recollective experience. We discuss our findings in terms of cue generation and content construction, and the implication for reconstructive models of autobiographical memory.

Theories of schizophrenia propose that abnormal functioning of the neural reward system is linked to negative and psychotic symptoms, by disruption of reward processing and promotion of context-independent false associations. Recently, it has been argued that an insula-anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) salience network system enables switching of brain states from the default mode to a task-related activity mode. Abnormal interaction between the insula-ACC system and reward processing regions may help explain abnormal reinforcer processing and symptoms. Here we use functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess the neural correlates of reward processing in schizophrenia. Furthermore, we investigated functional connectivity between the dopaminergic midbrain, a key region for the processing of reinforcers, and other brain regions. In response to rewards, controls activated task related regions (striatum, amygdala/hippocampus and midbrain) and the insula-ACC salience network. Patients similarly activated the insula-ACC salience network system but failed to activate task related regions. Reduced functional connectivity between the midbrain and the insula was found in schizophrenia, with the extent of this abnormality correlating with increased psychotic symptoms. The findings support the notion that reward processing is abnormal in schizophrenia and highlight the potential role of abnormal interactions between the insula-ACC salience network and reward regions.

Optimally discriminating familiar from novel stimuli demands a decision-making process informed by prior expectations. Here we demonstrate that pupillary dilation (PD) responses during recognition memory decisions are modulated by expectations, and more specifically, that pupil dilation increases for unexpected compared to expected recognition. Furthermore, multi-level modeling demonstrated that the time course of the dilation during each individual trial contains separable early and late dilation components, with the early amplitude capturing unexpected recognition, and the later trailing slope reflecting general judgment uncertainty or effort. This is the first demonstration that the early dilation response during recognition is dependent upon observer expectations and that separate recognition expectation and judgment uncertainty components are present in the dilation time course of every trial. The findings provide novel insights into adaptive memory-linked orienting mechanisms as well as the general cognitive underpinnings of the pupillary index of autonomic nervous system activity.

Two studies investigated the role of the self in the reminiscence bump (heightened retrieval for events from young adulthood). Participants over the age of 40 years were presented with top-grossing films and songs, and were asked to select the five that were most personally significant. Study 1 produced reminiscence bumps for personally significant songs, when measured by both participants' age at release (AaR) and age when songs were reported as most important (AaI). This effect was not shown for films. In Study 2, participants again selected their personally significant songs but also rated all songs for whether they were known, remembered (e.g., associated with an episodic memory), or not known. Personally significant songs were significantly more likely to be associated with episodic memories, compared to personally non-significant songs. Again, only personally significant songs formed a reminiscence bump. Findings underline a critical role of personal significance in the reminiscence bump, which we argue is consistent with the formation of identity in this lifetime period.