How the brain remembers and forgets where things are: The neurocognition of object–location memory

Remembering where things are – object–location memory – is essential for daily-life functioning. Functionally, it can be decomposed into at least three distinct processing mechanisms: (a) object processing, (b) spatial-location processing and (c) object to location binding. A neurocognitive model is sketched, which posits a mostly bilateral ventral cortical network supporting object-identity memory, a left fronto-parietal circuit for categorical position processing and working memory aspects, and a right fronto-parietal circuit for coordinate position processing and working memory. Medial temporal lobes and in particular the hippocampus appear essential for object–location binding. It is speculated that categorical object–location binding and episodic memory binding in general depend more on the left-sided areas, whereas coordinate object–location processing and navigation in large scale space involve the right-sided counterparts. The various object–location memory components differ in the extent to which they are automatized or require central effort. While automatic routines protect against brain damage, neural deficits might potentially also lead to a shift upon the automatic–effortful continuum.