The neural basis of the insight memory advantage.

Creative problem solving and memory are inherently intertwined; memory accesses existing knowledge while creativity enhances it. Recent studies show that insights often accompanying creative solutions enhance long-term memory. This Insight-Memory-Advantage (IMA) is explained by the insight-as-prediction-error hypothesis, which states that insights arise from prediction errors (PEs), updating predictive solution models, and thereby enhancing memory. Neurally, the hippocampus initially detects PEs, and then, together with the medial prefrontal cortex, integrates and updates these expectations facilitating efficient memory encoding and retrieval. Dopamine mediates reward-PEs and long-term potentiation in the hippocampus, while noradrenaline enhances arousal and attention impacting the amygdala, the salience network, and hippocampal plasticity. These neurobiological mechanisms likely underpin IMA, holding significant implications for educational practices and problem-solving strategies.