Mnemonic Demand Reconfigures the Neural Architecture of Memory Encoding

Abstract

Memory encoding must accommodate increasingly demanding loads, yet it remains unclear whether the underlying brain state is preserved or adaptively reconfigured as load increases. Here, we recorded EEG from 111 participants performing a visual memory task in which they encoded lists of real images ranging from 1 to 128 items, spanning low to high mnemonic demands, followed by a recognition test. We measured the similarity of set-size-specific interelectrode correlation patterns to a low-load reference. Similarity decreased monotonically as list length increased: patterns at set sizes below 4 remained close to the low-load configuration, whereas set sizes of 8 and above progressively shifted toward a distinct high-load configuration. This transition was captured by a single rotating eigenvector, revealing a low-dimensional trajectory from low- to high-load neural geometry. Smaller rotation angles from the low-load template predicted better memory performance at high loads. Together, these findings provide evidence for adaptive reconfiguration and reveal a structured, low-dimensional neural trajectory through which encoding architecture changes as mnemonic demands increase.