Soru

In memory consolidation research, the standard model posits that the hippocampus rapidly encodes new episodic memories, which are subsequently integrated into the neocortex over weeks or months through slow, repeated reactivations during sleep. Recently, however, proponents of Multiple Trace Theory (MTT) have challenged this view, contending that episodic memories perpetually depend on hippocampal networks regardless of their age. To substantiate this revisionist framework, MTT advocates frequently cite neuroimaging evidence demonstrating robust hippocampal activation during the retrieval of remote, decade-old autobiographical memories. Yet this line of evidence is vulnerable to a key methodological critique: elevated signal in the hippocampus during remote retrieval may reflect the immediate re-encoding of newly generated episodic details rather than the ongoing retrieval of the original trace itself. To test whether hippocampal engagement is truly indispensable for retrieving consolidated remote memories, researchers introduced the 'lesion-saturating paradigm' in animal models, wherein focal hippocampal lesions are induced only after extensive post-acquisition training intervals. Surprisingly, animals subjected to this delayed intervention exhibited intact contextual fear memory retrieval, whereas those with immediate post-training lesions suffered severe retrograde amnesia. This empirical asymmetry demonstrates that while the hippocampus is crucial during initial memory stabilization, cortical networks eventually become capable of autonomous retrieval, thereby calling into question MTT's assertion of permanent hippocampal dependence.

Based on the passage, the author refers to the 'lesion-saturating paradigm' primarily in order to fulfill which of the following rhetorical functions?