Neural Network Activity Underlying Source versus Item Memory Retrieval: Insights from Modelling and Meta-Analysis

Description: This meta-analysis investigated the neural mechanisms underlying source and item memory retrieval, explicitly distinguishing their neural signatures at the intrinsic network level. Guided by the RED-II model—an integrative framework emphasizing reciprocal interactions between the Frontoparietal Network (FPN), associated with effortful retrieval, and the Default Mode Network (DMN), linked to memory vividness—the study tested predictions regarding how retrieval demands shape network activation. Specifically, RED-II predicts increased FPN and reduced DMN activation during demanding source memory retrieval compared to simpler item retrieval. Results provided clear support for these hypotheses, validating key tenets of the RED-II model. Increased FPN activation during source retrieval was primarily localized to Subnetwork A, whereas Subnetworks B and C exhibited more comparable activation levels across retrieval conditions. Taken together, these findings significantly advance our understanding of the specialized neural network dynamics underlying memory retrieval.