Tracking neural dynamics of the relational eye-movement effect during memory retrieval
Nikolaev, Andrey LU
; Johansson, Roger
LU
; Bramao, Ines
LU
and Johansson, Mikael
LU
(2025)
International Conference of Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON) Porto 2025
p.115-115
- Abstract
- Eye movements do more than gather visual input – they actively contribute to the formation and retrieval of relational memories by linking information across space and time. During retrieval, gaze patterns often reflect memory reactivation well before an explicit response is made, a phenomenon known as the relational eye-movement effect. While this effect appears closely associated with hippocampal function (cf. Hannula & Ranganath, 2009, Neuron), the temporal dynamics linking eye movements and memory reactivation are still poorly understood. Specifically, how these processes unfold and interact over time remains an open question. To address this gap, we simultaneously recorded eye movements and EEG while participants performed a... (More)
- Eye movements do more than gather visual input – they actively contribute to the formation and retrieval of relational memories by linking information across space and time. During retrieval, gaze patterns often reflect memory reactivation well before an explicit response is made, a phenomenon known as the relational eye-movement effect. While this effect appears closely associated with hippocampal function (cf. Hannula & Ranganath, 2009, Neuron), the temporal dynamics linking eye movements and memory reactivation are still poorly understood. Specifically, how these processes unfold and interact over time remains an open question. To address this gap, we simultaneously recorded eye movements and EEG while participants performed a two-alternative forced-choice relational memory task. On each trial, participants viewed a cue and selected which of two equally familiar elements had been encoded with it, ensuring an equal baseline likelihood of initially fixating the target or the distractor. We analyzed fixation-related neural activity to track the temporal unfolding of the relational eye-movement effect on a fixation-by-fixation basis. Eye-tracking data revealed a robust relational eye-movement effect, characterized by disproportionate viewing of the target during correctly recalled trials. Time-frequency EEG analysis across the entire test interval showed that successful retrieval was associated with distinct oscillatory patterns: a theta power increase peaking 500–1000 ms after test onset, and a sustained alpha power decrease beginning around 500 ms and persisting throughout the interval. Fixation-related EEG analyses further distinguished recalled from forgotten trials across sequential fixations. The first fixation on the target following cue presentation elicited significantly greater theta power in recalled trials, consistent with early hippocampal pattern completion. In contrast, alpha suppression persisted across later target fixations, suggesting ongoing cortical reactivation of mnemonic content. These findings reveal a temporally structured neural signature of relational memory retrieval across eye movements, marked by an early theta increase followed by sustained alpha suppression. They underscore the active role of gaze behavior in guiding memory retrieval and provide new insights into the neural dynamics underlying the relational eye-movement effect. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/26195836-59ed-4eb3-a41f-26b0f4a5bf84
- author
- Nikolaev, Andrey
LU
; Johansson, Roger
LU
; Bramao, Ines
LU
and Johansson, Mikael
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025-09-17
- type
- Contribution to conference
- publication status
- published
- subject
- pages
- 1 pages
- conference name
- International Conference of Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON) Porto 2025
- conference location
- Porto, Portugal
- conference dates
- 2025-09-15 - 2025-09-20
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 26195836-59ed-4eb3-a41f-26b0f4a5bf84
- date added to LUP
- 2025-09-26 16:59:02
- date last changed
- 2025-09-30 03:28:08
@misc{26195836-59ed-4eb3-a41f-26b0f4a5bf84,
abstract = {{Eye movements do more than gather visual input – they actively contribute to the formation and retrieval of relational memories by linking information across space and time. During retrieval, gaze patterns often reflect memory reactivation well before an explicit response is made, a phenomenon known as the relational eye-movement effect. While this effect appears closely associated with hippocampal function (cf. Hannula & Ranganath, 2009, Neuron), the temporal dynamics linking eye movements and memory reactivation are still poorly understood. Specifically, how these processes unfold and interact over time remains an open question. To address this gap, we simultaneously recorded eye movements and EEG while participants performed a two-alternative forced-choice relational memory task. On each trial, participants viewed a cue and selected which of two equally familiar elements had been encoded with it, ensuring an equal baseline likelihood of initially fixating the target or the distractor. We analyzed fixation-related neural activity to track the temporal unfolding of the relational eye-movement effect on a fixation-by-fixation basis. Eye-tracking data revealed a robust relational eye-movement effect, characterized by disproportionate viewing of the target during correctly recalled trials. Time-frequency EEG analysis across the entire test interval showed that successful retrieval was associated with distinct oscillatory patterns: a theta power increase peaking 500–1000 ms after test onset, and a sustained alpha power decrease beginning around 500 ms and persisting throughout the interval. Fixation-related EEG analyses further distinguished recalled from forgotten trials across sequential fixations. The first fixation on the target following cue presentation elicited significantly greater theta power in recalled trials, consistent with early hippocampal pattern completion. In contrast, alpha suppression persisted across later target fixations, suggesting ongoing cortical reactivation of mnemonic content. These findings reveal a temporally structured neural signature of relational memory retrieval across eye movements, marked by an early theta increase followed by sustained alpha suppression. They underscore the active role of gaze behavior in guiding memory retrieval and provide new insights into the neural dynamics underlying the relational eye-movement effect.}},
author = {{Nikolaev, Andrey and Johansson, Roger and Bramao, Ines and Johansson, Mikael}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{09}},
pages = {{115--115}},
title = {{Tracking neural dynamics of the relational eye-movement effect during memory retrieval}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/228524932/Nikolaev_ICON_Poster5.pdf}},
year = {{2025}},
}