Now available

Individual Differences in Memory Modulation: Factors Influencing the
Neurobiology of Learning and Memory

A new Special Issue from
Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience (CABN)

Guest Editors
Stephanie L. Leal, Rice University, USA
Jaclyn Ford, Boston College, USA
Nancy A. Dennis, The Pennsylvania State University, USA

CABN Editor-in-Chief
Diego A. Pizzagalli, Harvard Medical School, USA

Special Issue
Memories are not created equally strong, where some experiences are better remembered or forgotten compared to others. Research on the modulation of memory investigates the cognitive and neurobiological processes that contribute to such differences in the strength of our memories. Extensive evidence from both animal and human research indicates that a plethora of factors–such as emotion, affect, and attention– can influence our memories, but the influence of these factors is not uniform. Understanding individual differences–including, but not limited to, gender, race, ethnicity, age, sleep, culture, stress, lifestyle, pharmacology, health, etc.– in the strength of these modulating factors could provide important insights into basic memory mechanisms and is useful toward the development of new interventions for disorders of memory.

In this special issue, we solicit empirical papers, reviews, and opinions from scholars who will highlight emerging advances from cognitive and neurobiological studies examining the modulation of memory across individuals. We encourage submissions on topics including any factors that may modulate memory and can extend beyond the factors listed above across cognitive and neurobiological measures. Diverse methods from cognitive and behavioral neuroscience are encouraged, including but not limited to MRI, PET, EEG, TMS, VR, eye-tracking, psychophysiology, electrophysiology, pharmacology, etc.

Specific topics can include, but are not limited to, the following questions:

1. How does the role of emotion in the encoding and retrieval of memories differ depending on individuals’ goals and motivations? How do such motivations relate to demographic features such as age, race, and ethnicity?
How might the brain’s prioritization of certain memories over others (e.g., neurotransmitters, networks, activity) be influenced or manipulated by natural or induced differences across individuals?
2. How do individual differences alter the long-term effects of memory enhancement techniques on memory retention? Can memory modulation research in certain populations lead to ethical concerns, such as the potential for memory manipulation or erasure?

Submission Guidelines/Deadline
Please reach out to the Guest Editors of the Special Issue if you would like to inquire whether a topic may be suitable under this special issue. We especially encourage submissions surrounding culture and factors impacted by diversity (e.g., stress, lifestyle factors, health, etc.) that may modulate memory, which is a relatively understudied area within the field. We ask interested authors to submit a 200-word abstract proposing an article for this special issue. Abstracts should be submitted to the guest editors (stephanieleal@rice.edu or jaclyn.ford@bc.edu) by end of day on November 1. Authors will be notified by November 15 if they are invited to submit their manuscript for review.

All submissions will undergo a normal, full peer review, maintaining the same high editorial standards for regular submissions to Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience.

Estimated timeline:

Call for Papers opens – September 7, 2023
Abstract deadline – November 1, 2023
Submissions open date – November 15, 2023
Submissions deadline – March 1, 2024
Author feedback deadline – July 1, 2024
Target publication date – February 2025

Questions?
Contact Stephanie Leal at stephanieleal@rice.edu or Jaclyn Ford at jaclyn.ford@bc.edu.

About CABN
Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience (CABN) offers theoretical, review, and primary research articles on behavior and brain processes in humans. Coverage includes normal function as well as patients with injuries or processes that influence brain function: neurological disorders, including both healthy and disordered aging; and psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and depression. CABN is the leading vehicle for strongly psychologically motivated studies of brain-behavior relationships, through the presentation of papers that integrate psychological theory and the conduct and interpretation of the neuroscientific data. The range of topics includes perception, attention, memory, language, problem solving, reasoning, and decision-making; emotional processes, motivation, reward prediction, and affective states; and individual differences in relevant domains, including personality. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience is a publication of the Psychonomic Society and is published six times a year.