Precuneus stimulation alters the neural dynamics of autobiographical memory retrieval

Abstract

Autobiographical memory (AM) unfolds over time, but little is known about the dynamics of its retrieval. Space-based models of memory implicate the hippocampus, retrosplenial cortex, and precuneus in early memory computations. Here we used inhibitory continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) to determine the causal role of the precuneus in the temporal dynamics of AM retrieval. Compared to vertex, precuneus stimulation altered evoked neural activity during early memory construction, as early as 400 ms after cue presentation, as well as during later memory elaboration. We further identified a parietal late positive component during memory elaboration, the amplitude of which was associated with spatial perspective during recollection. Precuneus stimulation disrupted this association, suggesting that this region plays a crucial role in the neural representation of spatial perspective during AM. These findings help clarify the neural correlates of early memory retrieval and demonstrate a causal role for the precuneus in the temporal dynamics of AM retrieval.