Episodic Memory Reconsolidation: An Update

In contrast to the study of memory reconsolidation in animals, research in humans is still in the early stages. This reflects the challenge to directly target memory reconsolidation without the use of pharmacological interventions that are often not safe for humans. Most studies therefore use paradigms in which new material is presented soon after memory reactivation. These studies show that human memories can be modified contingent upon their reactivation. Specifically, the novel material leads to interference in the original memories. This chapter reviews research on episodic memory reconsolidation that uses this approach in an object-learning paradigm. Learning a new set of objects after reactivation of a previous object-set memory causes the new objects to become integrated into the reactivated memory. We present studies that assess different types of reminders and the effects of memory strength and time delays, and we evaluate different theoretical accounts of our findings.