Memory is a complex cognitive process comprised by several subsystems, namely short- and long-term memory and working memory (WM). Previous research has shown that adequate interaction between subsystems is crucial for successful memory processes such as encoding, storage and manipulation of information. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between different subsystems at the behavioral and neural levels. Thus, here we assessed the relationship between individual WM abilities and brain activity underlying the recognition of previously memorized auditory sequences. First, recognition of previously memorized versus novel auditory sequences was associated with a widespread network of brain areas comprising the cingulate gyrus, hippocampus, insula, inferior temporal cortex, frontal operculum, and orbitofrontal cortex. Second, we observed positive correlations between brain activity underlying auditory sequence recognition and WM. We showed a sustained positive correlation in the medial cingulate gyrus, a brain area which was widely involved in the auditory sequence recognition. Remarkably, we also observed positive correlations in the inferior temporal, temporal-fusiform, and postcentral gyri, brain areas which were not strongly associated to auditory sequence recognition. In conclusion, we discovered positive correlations between WM abilities and brain activity underlying long-term recognition of auditory sequences, providing new evidence on the relationship between memory subsystems. Furthermore, we showed that high WM performers recruited a larger brain network including areas associated to visual processing (i.e., inferior temporal, temporal-fusiform and postcentral gyri) for successful auditory memory recognition.

Auditory recognition is a crucial cognitive process that relies on the organization of single elements over time. However, little is known about the spatiotemporal dynamics underlying the conscious recognition of auditory sequences varying in complexity. To study this, we asked 71 participants to learn and recognize simple tonal musical sequences and matched complex atonal sequences while their brain activity was recorded using magnetoencephalography (MEG). Results reveal qualitative changes in neural activity dependent on stimulus complexity: recognition of tonal sequences engages hippocampal and cingulate areas, whereas recognition of atonal sequences mainly activates the auditory processing network. Our findings reveal the involvement of a cortico-subcortical brain network for auditory recognition and support the idea that stimulus complexity qualitatively alters the neural pathways of recognition memory.