Targeted stimulation of a category-selective visual region at retrieval boosts memory via enhancing category-specific reinstatement

Reactivation of encoding-related neural patterns during retrieval—known as encoding–pattern reinstatement (EPR)—is thought to support episodic memory. Yet, direct evidence for its functional relevance remains limited, and it is unclear whether such content-specific reinstatement can be systematically modulated. Here, we show that non-invasive stimulation of category-selective cortex enhances both memory performance and underlying neural reinstatement in a content-specific manner. Participants encoded word–face and word–scene pairs on Day 1 and received intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) or sham stimulation to the right occipital face area prior to retrieval on Day 2. ITBS selectively improved memory for faces but not scenes. EEG multivariate pattern analysis revealed stronger reinstatement of encoding patterns for faces in the stimulation group. These findings suggest that category-selective cortical regions contribute to content-specific reinstatement during memory retrieval, and that modulating this mechanism may offer new leverage points for targeting representational deficits in memory-related disorders.

记忆检索阶段编码相关神经模式的再激活——即编码模式恢复（encoding–pattern reinstatement, EPR）——被认为对情景记忆（episodic memory）具有支持作用。然而，关于其功能相关性的直接证据仍较为匮乏，且尚不清楚此类内容特异性模式恢复能否被系统性调控。本研究证实，对类别选择性皮层实施无创刺激，能够以内容特异性的方式同时提升记忆表现与相关神经模式恢复过程。受试者在第1天完成词语-面部、词语-场景配对的编码任务，并在第2天记忆检索前，接受针对右侧枕叶面部区域（right occipital face area）的间歇θ爆发刺激（intermittent theta burst stimulation, iTBS）或伪刺激。结果显示，iTBS仅选择性改善了面部相关记忆，而非场景记忆。脑电图多变量模式分析（EEG multivariate pattern analysis）表明，刺激组中面部编码模式的恢复程度显著更强。上述研究结果提示，类别选择性脑区在记忆检索的内容特异性模式恢复过程中发挥作用，而对这一机制进行调控，或可为靶向干预记忆相关疾病中的表征缺陷提供全新的干预靶点。