Remembering the past to imagine the future: the prospective brain

A rapidly growing number of recent studies show that imagining the future depends on much of the same neural machinery that is needed for remembering the past. These findings have led to the concept of the prospective brain; an idea that a crucial function of the brain is to use stored information t...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inNature reviews. Neuroscience Vol. 8; no. 9; pp. 657 - 661
Main Authors Schacter, Daniel L, Addis, Donna Rose, Buckner, Randy L
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London Nature Publishing Group 01.09.2007
Subjects
Biological and medical sciences
Brain - physiology
Brain Mapping
Brain research
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General aspects. Models. Methods
Hippocampus (Brain)
Humans
Imagination - physiology
Isolated neuron and nerve. Neuroglia
Medical imaging
Memory
Mental Recall - physiology
Neuroimaging
Older people
Thinking - physiology
Time travel
Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
Prospective
Review
Light
Memory
Central nervous system
Encephalon
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:A rapidly growing number of recent studies show that imagining the future depends on much of the same neural machinery that is needed for remembering the past. These findings have led to the concept of the prospective brain; an idea that a crucial function of the brain is to use stored information to imagine, simulate and predict possible future events. We suggest that processes such as memory can be productively re-conceptualized in light of this idea.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-3
content type line 23
ObjectType-Review-1
ISSN:1471-003X
1471-0048
1471-0048
1469-3178
DOI:10.1038/nrn2213