Evolving Engrams Demand Changes in Effective Cues Linde Domingo, Juan Kerrén, Casper J.L.D. was supported by Project PID2023-151104NA-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by FEDER, EU, and Grant RYC2021- 033940-I funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by the European Union NextGeneration EU/PRTR. C.K. is supported by the Max Planck Society. The Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center receives funding from grants CEX2023-001312-M by MICIU/AEI//10.13039/501100011033 and UCE-PP2023-11 by the University of Granada A longstanding principle in episodic memory research, known as the encoding specificity hypothesis, holds that an effective retrieval cue should closely match the original encoding conditions. This principle assumes that a successful retrieval cue remains static over time. Despite the broad acceptance of this idea, it conflicts with one of the most well-established findings in memory research: The dynamic and ever-changing nature of episodic memories. In this article, we propose that the most effective retrieval cue should engage with the current state of the memory, which may have shifted significantly since encoding. By redefining the criteria for successful recall, we challenge a core principle of the field and open new avenues for exploring memory accessibility, offering fresh insights into both theoretical, and applied domains. 2025-07-02T08:32:24Z 2025-07-02T08:32:24Z 2025-05-07 journal article Linde-Domingo, J. and Kerrén, C. (2025), Evolving Engrams Demand Changes in Effective Cues. Hippocampus, 35: e70015. [DOI: 10.1002/hipo.70015] https://hdl.handle.net/10481/105031 10.1002/hipo.70015 eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ open access Atribución-NoComercial 4.0 Internacional John Wiley & Sons, Inc.