Targeted stimulation of a category-selective visual region at retrieval boosts memory via enhancing category-specific reinstatement

Reactivation of encoding-related neural patterns during retrieval—known as encoding–pattern reinstatement (EPR)—is thought to support episodic memory. Yet, direct evidence for its functional relevance remains limited, and it is unclear whether such content-specific reinstatement can be systematically modulated. Here, we show that non-invasive stimulation of category-selective cortex enhances both memory performance and underlying neural reinstatement in a content-specific manner. Participants encoded word–face and word–scene pairs on Day 1 and received intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) or sham stimulation to the right occipital face area prior to retrieval on Day 2. ITBS selectively improved memory for faces but not scenes. EEG multivariate pattern analysis revealed stronger reinstatement of encoding patterns for faces in the stimulation group. These findings suggest that category-selective cortical regions contribute to content-specific reinstatement during memory retrieval, and that modulating this mechanism may offer new leverage points for targeting representational deficits in memory-related disorders.