What episodic memory reveals about the default mode network

Episodic memories bind people, places, and events into coherent narratives with a subjective quality that distinguishes them from other mental representations. This review argues that episodic memory offers a powerful lens for understanding the default mode network's (DMN) functional organization. Recent research shows DMN memory-related functions are organized along at least two dimensions: content and specificity. Distinct brain areas support memory for different content types (object, spatial, social information) and varying specificity levels (detailed episodes versus general schemas). DMN pathways thus support diverse episodic thought, imbuing multidimensional representations with subjective experience, and revealing how the DMN builds and updates internal narratives across cognitive domains.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Episodic memories showcase the complexity of internal thought: they bind together people, places, and events into coherent narratives, and they carry a subjective quality that sets them apart from other mental representations. In this review, I argue that episodic memory provides a powerful lens for understanding the functional organization of the default mode network (DMN). Recent research reveals that memory-related functions of the DMN are organized along at least two key dimensions— content and specificity. Distinct areas support memory for different types of content (e.g., object, spatial, and social information) and with varying levels of specificity (e.g., detailed episodes vs general schemas). Together, DMN pathways can support the diversity of episodic thought, imbuing multidimensional representations with subjective experience. By delineating how these pathways correspond with memory features, we can gain insight into how the DMN builds and updates internal narratives across cognitive domains.