Mnemonic Training Reshapes Brain Networks to Support Superior Memory

• Published in: Neuron (Cambridge, Mass.) Vol. 93; no. 5; pp. 1227 - 1235.e6
• Main Authors: Dresler, Martin, Shirer, William R., Konrad, Boris N., Müller, Nils C.J., Wagner, Isabella C., Fernández, Guillén, Czisch, Michael, Greicius, Michael D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 08.03.2017; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Athletes; Brain; Brain - physiology; Brain architecture; Brain Mapping; brain networks; cognitive training; dynamics; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Functional morphology; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Male; Memory; Memory - physiology; memory championships; memory sports; method of loci; mnemonic; Nerve Net - physiology; Neural networks; Neural Pathways - physiology; Neuropsychological Tests; Rest - physiology; resting state; Studies; Temporal lobe; Visual perception; Young Adult; resting state; dynamics; memory; mnemonic; memory championships; method of loci; brain networks; memory sports; cognitive training
• ISSN: 0896-6273; 1097-4199
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.02.003

Memory skills strongly differ across the general population; however, little is known about the brain characteristics supporting superior memory performance. Here we assess functional brain network organization of 23 of the world’s most successful memory athletes and matched controls with fMRI during both task-free resting state baseline and active memory encoding. We demonstrate that, in a group of naive controls, functional connectivity changes induced by 6 weeks of mnemonic training were correlated with the network organization that distinguishes athletes from controls. During rest, this effect was mainly driven by connections between rather than within the visual, medial temporal lobe and default mode networks, whereas during task it was driven by connectivity within these networks. Similarity with memory athlete connectivity patterns predicted memory improvements up to 4 months after training. In conclusion, mnemonic training drives distributed rather than regional changes, reorganizing the brain’s functional network organization to enable superior memory performance. •Memory champions show distributed functional brain network connectivity changes•Mnemonic strategies for superior memory can be learned by naive subjects•Mnemonic training induces similarity with memory champion brain connectivity•Brain network dynamics of this effect differ between task and resting state Dresler et al. demonstrate that distributed functional brain network connectivity patterns differentiate the world’s leading memory athletes from intelligence-matched controls. Similar connectivity patterns could be induced through intense mnemonic training in naive subjects.