ABSTRACT
Up to this point, one important question has been set aside; namely, exactly how does activity within frontal cortex interact with the medial temporal cortex to support episodic encoding? This question is important, because an extensive body of evidence supports an essential role for medial temporal structures in successful episodic memory formation. Damage to the medial temporal lobes is often associated with partial or near complete loss of the ability to remember new experiences (including episodic memories) in the presence of relatively intact cognitive functioning in other domains (Cohen & Eichenbaum, 1993; Corkin, 1984; Scoville & Milner, 1957; Squire, 1987). Non-human primate models of memory loss also suggest that lesions within hippocampus and adjacent cortex (within the medial temporal lobes) result in an impaired ability to remember new experiences (Murray, 1996; Zola-Morgan & Squire, 1993).
