What can we learn from studying replay in humans?
Nicolas W Schuck, Marit Petzka, Stephen M Fleming
Trends in Cognitive Sciences July 7, 2026 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2026.06.013 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractNeural replay, the reactivation of patterns of brain activity, can now be studied noninvasively in humans. While human research has aimed to align with rodent findings, it often implicitly assumes that replay is tied to conscious, deliberate thought. This assumption limits the investigation of how replay relates to consciousness and overlooks broader cross-species differences.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Consciousness Cross-species Metacognition Replay |
| Key finding | Argues that the assumption linking neural replay to conscious thought in human research limits understanding of replay's relationship to consciousness and cross-species differences. |
Abstract
Noninvasive methods are making it possible to study neural replay in humans. Although focused on alignment with rodent findings, human research often tacitly assumes that replay is linked to conscious, deliberate thought. This assumption represents a missed opportunity to investigate the links between replay and consciousness, as well as cross-species differences more broadly.