scholarly journals The role of alpha oscillations in deriving and maintaining spatial relations in working memory

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 888-901 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kara J. Blacker ◽  
Akiko Ikkai ◽  
Balaji M. Lakshmanan ◽  
Joshua B. Ewen ◽  
Susan M. Courtney
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tzvetan Popov ◽  
Gregory A. Miller ◽  
Brigitte Rockstroh ◽  
Ole Jensen ◽  
Nicolas Langer

Power modulations in alpha oscillations (8-14Hz) have been associated with most human cognitive functions and psychopathological conditions studied. These reports are often inconsistent with the prevailing view of a specific relationship of alpha oscillations to attention and working memory (WM). We propose that conceptualizing the role of alpha oscillations in oculomotor control resolves this inconsistency. This proposition is based on a review of results across species (human Npooled=295, one non-human primate, honey bee N=5), experimental conditions (rest, attention, and working memory), and recording techniques (EEG, ECOG, eye-tracking, and MEG) that encourage the following relationships between alpha oscillations and eye-movement control: (i) saccade initiation prompts power decrease in brain circuits associated with saccadic control; (ii) the direction of a saccade is consistent with alpha lateralization, both during task and resting conditions; (iii) the phase of alpha activity informs saccade occurrence and biases miniature eye movements during fixation (e.g. fixational tremor); and (iv) oculomotor action differentiates WM load. A new theory on how alpha oscillations link oculomotor action to cognition is proposed. Generalizing across tasks and species: low oculomotor activity is associated with high alpha power and vice versa. Alpha oscillations regulate how long to look at a given target and how fast to saccade to a next. By ensuring steady gaze position, any potential input outside foveal vision is 'suppressed'.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (9) ◽  
pp. 1748-1754.e4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin Riddle ◽  
Jason M. Scimeca ◽  
Dillan Cellier ◽  
Sofia Dhanani ◽  
Mark D’Esposito

2015 ◽  
Vol 223 (2) ◽  
pp. 102-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyn H. Kroesbergen ◽  
Marloes van Dijk

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.


Author(s):  
Wim De Neys ◽  
Niki Verschueren

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.


2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana V. C. Coutinho ◽  
Joshua S. Redford ◽  
Justin J. Couchman ◽  
J. David Smith
Keyword(s):  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document