Review while it is still fresh
A memory is not stored all at once. Research shows that the brain continues to stabilise a new memory after the original experience.[1] Plastic Brains therefore sends a review reminder on the evening of your session, while the notes you took that day are still fresh in your mind.
Come back after sleep
Sleep actively supports the way new memories are processed and organised.[2] Research on slow-wave sleep also links sleep after learning with stronger storage of newly learned information.[3] That is why the next reminder arrives the following morning.
Space your reviews out
Reviews are more useful when they are separated by time instead of grouped together. In a human memory study, people remembered more after spaced repetitions than after immediate repetitions.[4] A wider review found the same advantage across learning periods lasting days or longer.[5] Plastic Brains uses this evidence to spread reminders across the gap between sessions.
Prepare for your next session
The cues around a memory can affect how easily it comes back. Research on state-dependent memory shows that returning to part of the original mental or physical context can support recall.[6] Reviewing your note before therapy acts as a cue for the previous conversation, helping you arrive ready to continue it.
References
- Goto et al. (2021), Stepwise synaptic plasticity events drive the early phase of memory consolidation.
- Rasch & Born (2013), About sleep’s role in memory.
- Walker (2010), The role of slow wave sleep in memory processing.
- Feng et al. (2019), Spaced learning enhances episodic memory by increasing neural pattern similarity across repetitions.
- Smith & Scarf (2017), Spacing repetitions over long timescales: A review and a reconsolidation explanation.
- Wang et al. (2023), State-dependent memory retrieval: Insights from neural dynamics and behavioural perspectives.