Abstract
What are the neural mechanisms underlying working memory (WM)? One influential theory posits that neurons in the lateral prefrontal cortex (lPFC) store WM information via persistent activity. In this review, we critically evaluate recent findings that together indicate that this model of WM needs revision. We argue that sensory cortex, not the lPFC, maintains high-fidelity representations of WM content. By contrast, the lPFC simultaneously maintains representations of multiple goal-related variables that serve to bias stimulus-specific activity in sensory regions. This work highlights multiple neural mechanisms supporting WM, including temporally dynamic population coding in addition to persistent activity. These new insights focus the question on understanding how the mechanisms that underlie WM are related, interact, and are coordinated in the lPFC and sensory cortex.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 82-89 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Trends in Cognitive Sciences |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 2014 |
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Keywords
- Decoding
- FMRI
- Forward encoding
- MVPA
- Prefrontal cortex
- Top down
- Working memory
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
- Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
Cite this
Revisiting the role of persistent neural activity during working memory. / Sreenivasan, Kartik; Curtis, Clayton; D'Esposito, Mark.
In: Trends in Cognitive Sciences, Vol. 18, No. 2, 02.2014, p. 82-89.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Revisiting the role of persistent neural activity during working memory
AU - Sreenivasan, Kartik
AU - Curtis, Clayton
AU - D'Esposito, Mark
PY - 2014/2
Y1 - 2014/2
N2 - What are the neural mechanisms underlying working memory (WM)? One influential theory posits that neurons in the lateral prefrontal cortex (lPFC) store WM information via persistent activity. In this review, we critically evaluate recent findings that together indicate that this model of WM needs revision. We argue that sensory cortex, not the lPFC, maintains high-fidelity representations of WM content. By contrast, the lPFC simultaneously maintains representations of multiple goal-related variables that serve to bias stimulus-specific activity in sensory regions. This work highlights multiple neural mechanisms supporting WM, including temporally dynamic population coding in addition to persistent activity. These new insights focus the question on understanding how the mechanisms that underlie WM are related, interact, and are coordinated in the lPFC and sensory cortex.
AB - What are the neural mechanisms underlying working memory (WM)? One influential theory posits that neurons in the lateral prefrontal cortex (lPFC) store WM information via persistent activity. In this review, we critically evaluate recent findings that together indicate that this model of WM needs revision. We argue that sensory cortex, not the lPFC, maintains high-fidelity representations of WM content. By contrast, the lPFC simultaneously maintains representations of multiple goal-related variables that serve to bias stimulus-specific activity in sensory regions. This work highlights multiple neural mechanisms supporting WM, including temporally dynamic population coding in addition to persistent activity. These new insights focus the question on understanding how the mechanisms that underlie WM are related, interact, and are coordinated in the lPFC and sensory cortex.
KW - Decoding
KW - FMRI
KW - Forward encoding
KW - MVPA
KW - Prefrontal cortex
KW - Top down
KW - Working memory
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U2 - 10.1016/j.tics.2013.12.001
DO - 10.1016/j.tics.2013.12.001
M3 - Article
VL - 18
SP - 82
EP - 89
JO - Trends in Cognitive Sciences
JF - Trends in Cognitive Sciences
SN - 1364-6613
IS - 2
ER -