Pupil size tracks cue–trace interactions during episodic memory retrieval

Abstract

AbstractOur ability to remember past events requires not only storing enduring engrams or memory traces of these events, but also successfully reactivating these latent traces in response to appropriate cues at the time of retrieval—a process that has been termed ecphory. However, relatively little is known about the processes that facilitate the dynamic interactions between retrieval cues and stored memory traces that are critical for successful recognition and recollection. Recently, an intriguing link between pupil dilation and recognition memory has been identified, with studied items eliciting greater pupil dilation than unstudied items during retrieval. However, the processes contributing to this “pupillary old/new effect” remain unresolved, with current explanations suggesting that it reflects the strength of the underlying memory trace. Here, we explore the novel hypothesis that the pupillary old/new effect does not index memory strength alone, but rather reflects the facilitation of cue–trace interactions during episodic memory retrieval that may be supported by activity within the pupil‐linked locus coeruleus‐noradrenergic (LC‐NA) arousal system. First, we show that the magnitude of pupil dilation is influenced by the degree of overlap between cue and trace information. Second, we find that the magnitude of pupil dilation reflects the amount of study contextual information reinstated during retrieval. These findings provide a novel framework for understanding the pupillary old/new effect, and identify a potential role for the LC‐NA system in recognition memory retrieval.