The role of working memory for bridging the gap between perception and goal-directed actions: Evidence by mu and beta oscillations in sensorimotor cortex

AbstractWhat mechanisms are at work when transferring a visual representation in working memory into a higher-level code for guiding future actions? We investigated the underlying attentional and motor selection processes in working memory by means of oscillatory EEG parameters. Participants stored two, three or four objects in working memory and subsequent retroactive cues indicated one or two items as task-relevant. The oscillatory response in mu (10-14 Hz) and beta (15-25 Hz) frequencies with an estimated source in sensorimotor cortex contralateral to response side was used as a correlate of motor planning. There was a stronger suppression of oscillatory power when only one item was cued. Importantly, this effect appeared although the required response could not be anticipated at this point in time. This suggests that working memory can store multiple item-specific motor plans and the selection of a stored visual item leads to an automatic updating of associated response alternatives.

Download Full-text

Oscillatory Correlates of Control over Working Memory Gating and Updating: An EEG Study Using the Reference-back Paradigm

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience ◽

10.1162/jocn_a_01326 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 30 (12) ◽

pp. 1870-1882 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Rachel Rac-Lubashevsky ◽

Yoav Kessler

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Control Process ◽

Relevant Information ◽

Relative Increase ◽

Delta Power ◽

Control Functions ◽

Gate Opening ◽

Oscillatory Eeg ◽

Delta Oscillations

Optimal working memory (WM) functioning depends on a control mechanism that balances between maintenance and updating by closing or opening the gate to WM, respectively. Here, we examined the neural oscillation correlates of WM updating and of the control processes involved in gating. The reference-back paradigm was employed to manipulate gate opening, gate closing, and updating independently and examine how the control functions involved in these processes are mapped to oscillatory EEG activity. The results established that different oscillatory patterns were associated with the control process related to gate opening than in gate closing. During the time of gate closing, a relative increase in theta power was observed over midfrontal electrodes. This theta response is a known EEG signature of cognitive control that is proposed here to reflect reactive conflict resolution, achieved by closing the gate when facing irrelevant information. On the other hand, proactive gate opening in preparation for relevant information was associated with an increase in relative delta power over parietal-occipital electrodes. Finally, WM updating was associated with relative increase in delta power over midfrontal electrodes, suggesting a functional role of delta oscillations in WM updating.

Download Full-text

Dependence of Working Memory on Coordinated Activity Across Brain Areas

Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience ◽

10.3389/fnsys.2021.787316 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 15 ◽

Author(s):

Ehsan Rezayat ◽

Kelsey Clark ◽

Mohammad-Reza A. Dehaqani ◽

Behrad Noudoost

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Brain Area ◽

Critical Role ◽

Brain Disorders ◽

Brain Areas ◽

Neural Substrate ◽

Oscillatory Power ◽

Experimental Findings ◽

Neural Signatures

Neural signatures of working memory (WM) have been reported in numerous brain areas, suggesting a distributed neural substrate for memory maintenance. In the current manuscript we provide an updated review of the literature focusing on intracranial neurophysiological recordings during WM in primates. Such signatures of WM include changes in firing rate or local oscillatory power within an area, along with measures of coordinated activity between areas based on synchronization between oscillations. In comparing the ability of various neural signatures in any brain area to predict behavioral performance, we observe that synchrony between areas is more frequently and robustly correlated with WM performance than any of the within-area neural signatures. We further review the evidence for alteration of inter-areal synchrony in brain disorders, consistent with an important role for such synchrony during behavior. Additionally, results of causal studies indicate that manipulating synchrony across areas is especially effective at influencing WM task performance. Each of these lines of research supports the critical role of inter-areal synchrony in WM. Finally, we propose a framework for interactions between prefrontal and sensory areas during WM, incorporating a range of experimental findings and offering an explanation for the observed link between intra-areal measures and WM performance.

Download Full-text

Working Memory and Number Sense as Predictors of Mathematical (Dis-)Ability

Zeitschrift für Psychologie ◽

10.1027/2151-2604/a000208 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 223 (2) ◽

pp. 102-109 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Evelyn H. Kroesbergen ◽

Marloes van Dijk

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Learning Disabilities ◽

Spatial Working Memory ◽

Number Sense ◽

Mathematical Learning ◽

Visual Spatial ◽

Mathematical Learning Disabilities ◽

Visual Spatial Working Memory ◽

And Mathematics

Recent research has pointed to two possible causes of mathematical (dis-)ability: working memory and number sense, although only few studies have compared the relations between working memory and mathematics and between number sense and mathematics. In this study, both constructs were studied in relation to mathematics in general, and to mathematical learning disabilities (MLD) in particular. The sample consisted of 154 children aged between 6 and 10 years, including 26 children with MLD. Children performing low on either number sense or visual-spatial working memory scored lower on math tests than children without such a weakness. Children with a double weakness scored the lowest. These results confirm the important role of both visual-spatial working memory and number sense in mathematical development.

Download Full-text

Working Memory Capacity and a Notorious Brain Teaser

Experimental Psychology (formerly Zeitschrift für Experimentelle Psychologie) ◽

10.1027/1618-3169.53.1.123 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 53 (2) ◽

pp. 123-131 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

Wim De Neys ◽

Niki Verschueren

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Secondary Task ◽

Working Memory Capacity ◽

Memory Capacity ◽

Task Load ◽

Normative Reasoning ◽

Monty Hall Dilemma ◽

Monty Hall ◽

Memory Resources

Abstract. The Monty Hall Dilemma (MHD) is an intriguing example of the discrepancy between people’s intuitions and normative reasoning. This study examines whether the notorious difficulty of the MHD is associated with limitations in working memory resources. Experiment 1 and 2 examined the link between MHD reasoning and working memory capacity. Experiment 3 tested the role of working memory experimentally by burdening the executive resources with a secondary task. Results showed that participants who solved the MHD correctly had a significantly higher working memory capacity than erroneous responders. Correct responding also decreased under secondary task load. Findings indicate that working memory capacity plays a key role in overcoming salient intuitions and selecting the correct switching response during MHD reasoning.

Download Full-text