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Stable Engrams and Neural Dynamics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2022

Sarah K. Robins
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Abstract

The idea that remembering involves an engram, becoming stable and permanent via consolidation, has guided the neuroscience of memory since its inception. The shift to thinking of memory as continuous and dynamic, as part of a trend toward neural dynamics, has challenged this commitment, with some, such as Lynn Nadel, calling for “the demise of the fixed trace” and others, such as Alcino J. Silva, urging rejection of the “consolidation dogma.” Does consideration of neural dynamics offer reasons to reject engram theory? No. I argue that they are compatible. At most, shifting to a dynamic view of neural processes compels revision of the implementational details.

Type
Cognitive Sciences
Information
Philosophy of Science , Volume 87 , Issue 5: PSA 2018 - Proceedings of the 2018 biennial meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association. Part II Symposia Papers , December 2020 , pp. 1130 - 1139
Copyright
Copyright © The Philosophy of Science Association

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Footnotes

†

Many thanks to Felipe De Brigard and Colin Klein for organizing the PSA 2018 symposium Neural Dynamics and Cognitive Ontology, where this article was originally presented. Thanks, too, for comments and feedback from the audience and from my fellow symposium participants: Jessica Cohen, Felipe De Brigard, Bryce Gessell, and Colin Klein.

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