Our brain is able to flexibly reorganize and spontaneously generalize information based on memories of past events, a process which leads to adaptive behavior. However, the brain mechanism of this reorganization of related memories during rest and sleep that lead to behavior change is still unclear. By using neuroimaging measures in humans and utilizing animal models, this project seeks to answer the following research questions: 1) How do related memory traces spontaneously reactivate and reorganize during rest and sleep? 2) How is memory reorganization linked to distinct oscillatory activities in the brain? 3) How can we affect memory reorganization and hence behavior by presenting target memory cues during certain oscillatory events at rest and sleep? The results will deepen our understanding of memory reorganization and may open possibilities of developing interventions for memory disorders.
