Neural correlates underlying the precision of visual working memory

Publication date: Available online 6 December 2019Source: NeuroscienceAuthor(s): Yijie Zhao, Shuguang Kuai, Theodore P. Zanto, Yixuan KuAbstractThe neural mechanisms associated with the limited capacity of working memory has long been studied, but it is still unclear which neural regions are associated with the precision of visual working memory. Here, an orientation recall task for estimating the trial-wise precision of visual working memory was performed and then repeated two weeks later in an fMRI scanner. Results showed that activity in frontal and parietal regions during working memory maintenance scaled with working memory load, but not with the precision of working memory (i.e., recall error in radians). Conversely, activity in the lateral occipital complex (LOC) during working memory maintenance was not affected by memory load, but rather, correlated with working memory precision on a trial-by-trial basis. Moreover, activity in LOC also correlated with the individual participant’s precision of working memory from a separate behavioral experiment. Interestingly, a region within the prefrontal cortex, the inferior frontal junction (IFJ), exhibited greater functional connectivity with LOC when the working memory load increased. Together, our findings provide unique evidence that the LOC supports visual working memory precision, while communication between the IFJ and LOC varies based on working memory load demands. These results suggest an intriguing possibility that d...
Source: Neuroscience - Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research