Oscillatory Control over Representational States in Working Memory

Abstract

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Temporal expectation modulates the neural dynamics of delayed responses to working memory representations

“…Here, we showed the modulation of alpha lateralisation across somatosensory and parieto-occipital regions when the participants directed attention to the relevant responses according to the comparisons between the tested and maintained information. These results support the notion that alpha lateralisation may reflect a general mechanism that determines the engagement and disengagement of the cortices according to the task relevancy across various sensory modalities and controls the representational states of WM (de Vries, Slagter, & Olivers, 2020;Klimesch, 2012;Kuo, Li, Lin, Hu, & Yeh, 2017;van Ede, 2018;Wallis, Stokes, Cousijn, Woolrich, & Nobre, 2015). We showed that temporal predictability can optimise attentional prioritisation and the selection of responses, thereby bringing alpha lateralisation forward when the probe onset was highly predictable.…”

A dual mechanism underlying retroactive shifts of auditory spatial attention: dissociating target- and distractor-related modulations of alpha lateralization

“…Accordingly, shifts of attention toward a lateralized target resulted in a contralateral decrease in alpha power, whereas shifting attention away from a lateralized distractor resulted in a contralateral increase in alpha power. The pattern of results support the notion that alpha lateralization mediates the task-dependent prioritization and de-prioritization of items within working memory 36 . In addition, we strengthen the previous claim that auditory alpha lateralization is absent when spatial information is task-irrelevant 8,44 .…”

“…Accordingly, both behavioral as well as neural evidence question the notion that an active inhibition mechanism completely deteriorates the non-cued item: On a behavioral level, using a series of cues, it has been shown that originally cued and then defocused items remain strengthened and result in faster and more accurate performance compared to trials in which a previously un-cued item (and thus "un-strengthened" item) is probed. In addition, EEG studies cast doubt on whether alpha lateralization actually mediates potential distractor exclusion effects 35,36 : For instance, Noonan and colleagues failed to find a lateralization of alpha power in response to a pre-cue indicating the location of an upcoming distractor, although, on the behavioral level, clear reaction time and accuracy improvements provide evidence for effective distractor exclusion (see also de Vries et al 37 ). However, it should be considered that the latter findings refer to anticipatory suppression of distractors in the visual domain, whereas the present study deals with the inhibition of previously relevant information within auditory working memory that subsequently becomes irrelevant.…”

“…This supports the notion that working memory is a highly-flexible system that allows for the dynamic adaption to changing task demands by means of a dual-control mechanism. Alpha oscillations may serve as the underlying substrate that allows for flexible control over the state of current working memory representations, switching between prioritized and deprioritized representations depending on their current relevance for the task 36 . That the flexible prioritization and deprioritization of working memory representation may, in fact, be mediated by two independent mechanisms, has been supported by a number of recent studies: Schneider et al 6 independently manipulated the meaning of a retro-cue such that it either indicated the to-beremembered (remember-cue) or the to-be-forgotten (forget-cue) item(s).…”

Does rehearsal matter? Left anterior temporal alpha and theta band changes correlate with the beneficial effects of rehearsal on working memory

“…The observed activity patterns were in the alpha and beta ranges, frequency ranges that are critical for maintenance of visual information. Alpha enhancement likely reflects inhibition of information that could interfere with maintenance, while beta activity is related to controlling the information that is being actively maintained 51 . The early delay activity was followed by a period of desynchronous activity for the remainder of the delay which may suggest preparation for the upcoming response 52 .…”