Prospective hippocampus and putamen activations support conditional memory-guided behavior

Abstract

Memory of past events, in addition to contextual cues, influence conditional behavior. The hippocampus (HPC), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and striatum are important contributors to this process. The mechanisms by which these regions facilitate conditional memory-guided behavior remains unclear. We developed a conditional-associative task in which the correct conditional choice was dependent on the preceding stimulus. We examined activations related to successful conditional behavior and the timing of their contributions. Two distinct networks emerged: (1) a prospective system consisting of the HPC, putamen, mPFC, and other cortical regions, which exhibited increased activation preceding successful conditional decisions; and (2) a concurrent system supported by the caudate, dlPFC, and additional cortical structures that engaged during execution of correct conditional choices. Our findings demonstrate two distinct neurobiological circuits through which memory prospectively biases conditional memory-guided decisions, as well as influence the execution of current choices.