The spatial orienting of the focus of attention in working memory makes use of inhibition: Evidence by hemispheric asymmetries in posterior alpha oscillations

Complex cognition relies on both on-line representations in working memory (WM), said to reside in the focus of attention, and passive off-line representations of related information. Here, we dissected the focus of attention by showing that distinct neural signals index the on-line storage of objects and sustained spatial attention. We recorded electroencephalogram (EEG) activity during two tasks that employed identical stimulus displays but varied the relative demands for object storage and spatial attention. We found distinct delay-period signatures for an attention task (which required only spatial attention) and a WM task (which invoked both spatial attention and object storage). Although both tasks required active maintenance of spatial information, only the WM task elicited robust contralateral delay activity that was sensitive to mnemonic load. Thus, we argue that the focus of attention is maintained via a collaboration between distinct processes for covert spatial orienting and object-based storage.

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Hemispheric asymmetries in EEG alpha oscillations indicate active inhibition during attentional orienting within working memory

Behavioural Brain Research ◽

10.1016/j.bbr.2018.10.020 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 359 ◽

pp. 38-46 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Daniel Schneider ◽

Anna Göddertz ◽

Henrike Haase ◽

Clayton Hickey ◽

Edmund Wascher

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Attentional Orienting ◽

Hemispheric Asymmetries ◽

Alpha Oscillations ◽

Active Inhibition ◽

Eeg Alpha

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Dissecting the neural focus of attention reveals distinct processes for spatial attention and object-based storage in visual working memory

10.1101/347518 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nicole Hakim ◽

Kirsten C. S. Adam ◽

Eren Gunseli ◽

Edward Awh ◽

Edward K. Vogel

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Spatial Attention ◽

Spatial Information ◽

Focus Of Attention ◽

Neural Signals ◽

Attention Task ◽

Spatial Orienting ◽

Object Based ◽

Object Storage ◽

Online Storage

AbstractComplex cognition relies on both online representations in working memory (WM) said to reside in thefocus of attention, and passive offline representations of related information. Here, we dissect the focus of attention by showing that distinct neural signals index the online storage of objects and sustained spatial attention. We recorded EEG activity during two tasks that employed identical stimulus displays while the relative demands for object storage and spatial attention varied. We found distinct delay-period signatures for an attention task (which only required spatial attention) and WM task (which invoked both spatial attention and object storage). Although both tasks required active maintenance of spatial information, only the WM task elicited robust contralateral delay activity that was sensitive to mnemonic load. Thus, we argue that the focus of attention is maintained via a collaboration between distinct processes for covert spatial orienting and object-based storage.

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