Marc Coutanche
@marccoutanche.bsky.social
Neuroscientist, Cognitive Scientist. Examining memory, learning, new fMRI methods, ⬆️ funding for science. Personal account.
A whole-brain searchlight revealed semantic-level-specific traces along the ventral stream. Item-level retrieval boosted trace distinctiveness in visual word form area. Category-level retrieval increased pattern consistency in early visual cortex and VT. Theme-level retrieval activated left VLPFC.
June 3, 2025 at 4:55 PM
A whole-brain searchlight revealed semantic-level-specific traces along the ventral stream. Item-level retrieval boosted trace distinctiveness in visual word form area. Category-level retrieval increased pattern consistency in early visual cortex and VT. Theme-level retrieval activated left VLPFC.
Even when memory performance was matched across conditions, neural patterns during recognition differed.
We could decode how each item had been previously retrieved (item/category/theme) in ventral temporal cortex, early visual areas, and anterior hippocampus.
We could decode how each item had been previously retrieved (item/category/theme) in ventral temporal cortex, early visual areas, and anterior hippocampus.
June 3, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Even when memory performance was matched across conditions, neural patterns during recognition differed.
We could decode how each item had been previously retrieved (item/category/theme) in ventral temporal cortex, early visual areas, and anterior hippocampus.
We could decode how each item had been previously retrieved (item/category/theme) in ventral temporal cortex, early visual areas, and anterior hippocampus.
Our participants learned novel word-image pairs, then retrieved them via one of three semantic levels:
• Item (e.g., “Does this have four legs?”)
• Category (“Is this an animal?”)
• Theme (“Is this related to the ocean?”)
Later, they were tested in a recognition task
• Item (e.g., “Does this have four legs?”)
• Category (“Is this an animal?”)
• Theme (“Is this related to the ocean?”)
Later, they were tested in a recognition task
June 3, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Our participants learned novel word-image pairs, then retrieved them via one of three semantic levels:
• Item (e.g., “Does this have four legs?”)
• Category (“Is this an animal?”)
• Theme (“Is this related to the ocean?”)
Later, they were tested in a recognition task
• Item (e.g., “Does this have four legs?”)
• Category (“Is this an animal?”)
• Theme (“Is this related to the ocean?”)
Later, they were tested in a recognition task
Well there go my reading plans for today
April 24, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Well there go my reading plans for today
Same! I was there in DC
April 23, 2025 at 4:09 AM
Same! I was there in DC
I just bring this mug
April 11, 2025 at 5:55 PM
I just bring this mug
This just about sums up AI
April 6, 2025 at 4:37 PM
This just about sums up AI
I have one of those!
April 4, 2025 at 1:38 AM
I have one of those!
Nothing like the smell of IT-overreach to start off your week
March 31, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Nothing like the smell of IT-overreach to start off your week
Kitten or Croissant?
March 29, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Kitten or Croissant?
Fixed it with a Klingon targ
March 22, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Fixed it with a Klingon targ
At some point, these become harder for people than for AI. It's a misunderstanding to think that obscure words will trick AI. Humans, yes, but AI has access to every word ever written.
March 22, 2025 at 8:46 PM
At some point, these become harder for people than for AI. It's a misunderstanding to think that obscure words will trick AI. Humans, yes, but AI has access to every word ever written.
Haha I had those in the mix, too!
December 22, 2024 at 11:36 PM
Haha I had those in the mix, too!
Teaching evals are in and I consider my 'Ask Q, get psychology sticker' pilot a success:
"I found that the professor encouraged class engagement by giving out stickers in class. Maybe this is my own personal opinion, but I would actively listen and participate in lectures because of the stickers."
"I found that the professor encouraged class engagement by giving out stickers in class. Maybe this is my own personal opinion, but I would actively listen and participate in lectures because of the stickers."
December 22, 2024 at 11:01 PM
Teaching evals are in and I consider my 'Ask Q, get psychology sticker' pilot a success:
"I found that the professor encouraged class engagement by giving out stickers in class. Maybe this is my own personal opinion, but I would actively listen and participate in lectures because of the stickers."
"I found that the professor encouraged class engagement by giving out stickers in class. Maybe this is my own personal opinion, but I would actively listen and participate in lectures because of the stickers."
Sometimes I'm impressed with AI and at other times, it's downright embarrassing. The second answer here is a wild ride.
December 19, 2024 at 5:04 AM
Sometimes I'm impressed with AI and at other times, it's downright embarrassing. The second answer here is a wild ride.
With the cold weather arriving, my top tip is to get one of these plug-in thermal cameras. I got one in last year's Thanksgiving sales. It's helped me find cold spots (in this example, in the basement). I suspect it's paid for itself by identifying where I need to seal up / insulate.
November 14, 2024 at 4:40 AM
With the cold weather arriving, my top tip is to get one of these plug-in thermal cameras. I got one in last year's Thanksgiving sales. It's helped me find cold spots (in this example, in the basement). I suspect it's paid for itself by identifying where I need to seal up / insulate.
how do you do, fellow kids?
November 1, 2024 at 9:00 PM
how do you do, fellow kids?
A question for cog sci folk working with LLMs: How do you know that the responses you're analyzing do not have human input? Bard (now Gemini) just told me that some of its responses are pre-scripted. Curious how people deal with this
February 9, 2024 at 9:24 PM
A question for cog sci folk working with LLMs: How do you know that the responses you're analyzing do not have human input? Bard (now Gemini) just told me that some of its responses are pre-scripted. Curious how people deal with this
Can someone tell college & med school IT teams that you can automate file renaming? I don't need these brain teasers.
Today's gem: "Please submit the letter as PDF with the filename including the student's last and first name followed by the word "letter" and lastly ending with your initials"
Today's gem: "Please submit the letter as PDF with the filename including the student's last and first name followed by the word "letter" and lastly ending with your initials"
January 21, 2024 at 10:40 PM
Can someone tell college & med school IT teams that you can automate file renaming? I don't need these brain teasers.
Today's gem: "Please submit the letter as PDF with the filename including the student's last and first name followed by the word "letter" and lastly ending with your initials"
Today's gem: "Please submit the letter as PDF with the filename including the student's last and first name followed by the word "letter" and lastly ending with your initials"
Reminds me of my own 'fun' with simulated phishing. I can always tell (from my twitter account)
November 8, 2023 at 5:02 PM
Reminds me of my own 'fun' with simulated phishing. I can always tell (from my twitter account)
And to the statistical threshold, we say
September 19, 2023 at 3:24 PM
And to the statistical threshold, we say