Dr. Barense is an Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto. Dr. Barense has been trained in animal neuroscience, human neuropsychology, fMRI, and cognitive psychology and enjoys bringing these approaches together to study the neural underpinnings of memory.

Presentation Title: Understanding memory disorders: At the level of cognitive process representational content?

Abstract:

How does perception of an object relate to subsequent memory for that object? A central assumption in most modern theories of memory is that memory and perception are functionally and anatomically segregated. For example, amnesia resulting from medial temporal lobe (MTL) lesions is traditionally considered to be a selective deficit in long-term declarative memory with no effect on perceptual processes. This view is consistent with a popular paradigm in cognitive neuroscience, in which the brain is understood in terms of a modular organization of function based on cognitive process. The work I will present offers a new perspective. Guided by computational modelling complemented with neuropsychology and neuroimaging, I will provide support for the notion that memory and perception are inextricably intertwined throughout the MTL, relying on shared neural representations and computational mechanisms. I will then describe how this new framework can improve basic understanding of cognitive impairments observed in Alzheimer’s disease, as well as guide development of new diagnostic procedures for those at risk for dementia.