Task-invariant networks interfere with and task-specific networks support memory formation: An fMRI meta-analysis.
Imaging neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.) January 1, 2026 Hongkeun Kim
Why some moments are remembered while others are forgotten involves a dissociation in large-scale brain networks. A meta-analysis of 56 fMRI studies using the subsequent memory paradigm found that brain activity linked to forgetting is consistent across different tasks, recruiting specific subsystems within the default mode, frontoparietal, and ventral attention networks—a pattern suggesting distraction or mind-wandering. In contrast, activity supporting successful memory encoding is task-specific: verbal encoding engages language-related networks, while pictorial encoding activates visuo-perceptual systems. This indicates that encoding failure may stem from similar attentional lapses regardless of context, whereas successful encoding requires precise, context-sensitive neural engagement.