Rules versus evidence in memory and non-memory decision-making

Recent research using functional magnetic resonance imaging has revealed that memory retrieval often places considerable demands on the prefrontal cortex (PFC), a region known to underpin complex decision-making. Regional dissociations within PFC suggest that memory retrieval recruits several decision processes shared with complex decision making in non-memory domains. Here we briefly review data highlighting the role of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) during memory and non-memory judgments, which suggest that dlPFC is sensitive to decision complexity during memory retrieval. As decision complexity increases, decision-makers may be more susceptible to stress and/or fatigue with consequent failures of memory judgment.