scholarly journals Understanding subprocesses of working memory through the lens of model-based cognitive neuroscience

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne C. Trutti ◽  
Sam Verschooren ◽  
Birte Forstmann ◽  
Russell James Boag
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Cognitive Neuroscience ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Model Based ◽  
Removal Processes ◽  
Back Task

Working memory (WM) refers to a set of processes that makes task-relevant information accessible to higher-level cognitive processes. Recent work suggests WM is supported by a variety of information gating, updating, and removal processes, which ensure only task-relevant information occupies WM. Current neurocomputational theory suggests WM gating is accomplished via ‘go/no-go’ signalling in basal ganglia-thalamus-prefrontal cortex pathways, but is less clear about other subprocesses and brain structures known to play a role in WM. We review recent efforts to identify the neural basis of WM subprocesses using the recently developed reference-back task as a benchmark measure of WM subprocesses. Targets for future research using the methods of model-based cognitive neuroscience and novel extensions to the reference-back task are suggested.

Slow Wave Activity Related to Working Memory Maintenance in the N-Back Task

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 141-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kira Bailey ◽  
Gregory Mlynarczyk ◽  
Robert West
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Slow Wave ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Wave Activity ◽  
Slow Wave Activity ◽  
Response Accuracy ◽  
Functional Neuroanatomy ◽  
Stimulus Interval ◽  
Back Task

Abstract. Working memory supports our ability to maintain goal-relevant information that guides cognition in the face of distraction or competing tasks. The N-back task has been widely used in cognitive neuroscience to examine the functional neuroanatomy of working memory. Fewer studies have capitalized on the temporal resolution of event-related brain potentials (ERPs) to examine the time course of neural activity in the N-back task. The primary goal of the current study was to characterize slow wave activity observed in the response-to-stimulus interval in the N-back task that may be related to maintenance of information between trials in the task. In three experiments, we examined the effects of N-back load, interference, and response accuracy on the amplitude of the P3b following stimulus onset and slow wave activity elicited in the response-to-stimulus interval. Consistent with previous research, the amplitude of the P3b decreased as N-back load increased. Slow wave activity over the frontal and posterior regions of the scalp was sensitive to N-back load and was insensitive to interference or response accuracy. Together these findings lead to the suggestion that slow wave activity observed in the response-to-stimulus interval is related to the maintenance of information between trials in the 1-back task.

The contribution of cognition to the rehabilitation of language and communication deficits

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (11) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Bijoyaa Mohapatra
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Assessment ◽  
Communication Disorders ◽  
World Health ◽  
International Classification Of Functioning ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
Language Functions

Background/Aims There is growing evidence to suggest that cognitive processes, in particular working memory and executive functions, are related to language functions such as syntactic processing, reading comprehension, narration and conversational discourse. This article offers rehabilitation considerations for speech-language pathologists to include cognitive assessment and treatment in their clinical practice. The information presented will also be useful in promoting multidisciplinary rehabilitation. Methods A critical review of the literature on the interaction between cognitive processes and linguistic functions in communication disorders was undertaken. Specific key terms including but not limited to executive functioning, working memory, language, assessment, intervention and communication disorders were searched on the Google Scholar database. Relevant literature from the last three decades pertaining to cognitive behavior, assessment and intervention in communication disorders of all age groups and severities is included in the review. Results The review presents analyses of the multidimensional and dynamic interaction of language and cognition in children (specific language impairment, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, stuttering) and adults (traumatic brain injury, stroke, dementia) with communication disorders. The article elaborates on the speech-language pathologist's scope of practice in cognitive assessment and intervention that are consistent with the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework. Conclusions By documenting cognitive-communication behaviour, speech-language pathologists are able to effectively contribute to the clinical assessment and management of cognitive deficits. However, future research efforts are required to develop clinically reliable tests of cognitive functioning in communication disorders and promote evidence-based cognitive treatment practices.

Spontaneous Self-Distancing Mediates the Association Between Working Memory Capacity and Emotion Regulation Success

2020 ◽  
pp. 216770262095363
Author(s):  
T. H. Stanley Seah ◽  
Lindsey M. Matt ◽  
Karin G. Coifman
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Mood Induction ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Negative Mood ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Memory Capacity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Treatment Target

Self-distancing is associated with adaptive emotion regulation (ER), thereby making it a common treatment target across psychotherapies. However, less is known about cognitive processes that facilitate self-distancing. Working memory capacity (WMC) has been associated with self-distancing and ER, although research has not directly examined WMC and spontaneous self-distancing activity. Here, we tested the association between WMC and self-distancing (indexed by pronoun use) in relation to ER during a negative-mood induction in college students ( N = 209). Results suggested a mediation model: Higher WMC predicted lower I and greater we pronouns (i.e., greater self-distancing), which in turn predicted lower negative affect. Furthermore, higher WMC predicted greater we pronouns, which predicted higher positive affect. No significant mediation was observed for you. These findings enrich current theoretical models describing WMC and self-distancing in ER and suggest important future research to further elucidate the cognitive processes underlying self-distancing with implications for clinical practice.

scholarly journals Cortical Mechanisms of Cognitive Control for Shifting Attention in Vision and Working Memory

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 2905-2919 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin J. Tamber-Rosenau ◽  
Michael Esterman ◽  
Yu-Chin Chiu ◽  
Steven Yantis
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Cognitive Domains ◽  
Future Goals ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Past Experiences ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Superior Frontal Sulcus

Organisms operate within both a perceptual domain of objects and events, and a mnemonic domain of past experiences and future goals. Each domain requires a deliberate selection of task-relevant information, through deployments of external (perceptual) and internal (mnemonic) attention, respectively. Little is known about the control of attention shifts in working memory, or whether voluntary control of attention in these two domains is subserved by a common or by distinct functional networks. We used human fMRI to examine the neural basis of cognitive control while participants shifted attention in vision and in working memory. We found that these acts of control recruit in common a subset of the dorsal fronto-parietal attentional control network, including the medial superior parietal lobule, intraparietal sulcus, and superior frontal sulcus/gyrus. Event-related multivoxel pattern classification reveals, however, that these regions exhibit distinct spatio-temporal patterns of neural activity during internal and external shifts of attention, respectively. These findings constrain theoretical accounts of selection in working memory and perception by showing that populations of neurons in dorsal fronto-parietal network regions exhibit selective tuning for acts of cognitive control in different cognitive domains.

scholarly journals Attention Control and Process Overlap Theory: Searching for Cognitive Processes Underpinning the Positive Manifold

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander P. Burgoyne ◽  
Cody Anthony Mashburn ◽  
Jason S. Tsukahara ◽  
Randall W Engle
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Latent Variables ◽  
Fluid Intelligence ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Attention Control ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Discrimination Ability ◽  
Positive Correlations

Process overlap theory provides a contemporary explanation for the positive correlations observed among cognitive ability measures, a phenomenon which intelligence researchers refer to as the positive manifold. According to process overlap theory, cognitive tasks tap domain-general executive processes as well as domain-specific processes, and correlations between measures reflect the degree of overlap in the cognitive processes that are engaged when performing the tasks. In this article, we discuss points of agreement and disagreement between the executive attention framework and process overlap theory, with a focus on attention control: the domain-general ability to maintain focus on task-relevant information and disengage from irrelevant and no-longer relevant information. After describing the steps our lab has taken to improve the measurement of attention control, we review evidence suggesting that attention control can explain many of the positive correlations between broad cognitive abilities, such as fluid intelligence, working memory capacity, and sensory discrimination ability. Furthermore, when these latent variables are modeled under a higher-order g factor, attention control has the highest loading on g, indicating a strong relationship between attention control and domain-general cognitive ability. In closing, we reflect on the challenge of directly measuring cognitive processes and provide suggestions for future research.

A Review of Neuroimaging Studies on Working Memory Paradigms in Patients with Bipolar Disorder

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (21) ◽  
pp. 1883-1892 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asen Beshkov ◽  
Mariyan Topolov ◽  
Feryhan Ahmed-Popova ◽  
Stefan Sivkov
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Neuroscience ◽  
Mental Disease ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Imaging Studies ◽  
Powerful Means ◽  
Bipolar Patients

New brain technologies including neuroimaging studies are powerful means for providing new insights into clinical and cognitive neuroscience. Bipolar disorder is a severe chronic phasic mental disease characterized by various cognitive dysfunctions. Working memory is one prominent domain of cognitive impairment in bipolar disorder. Disruptions in working memory are observed even in euthymic bipolar patients which makes it a potential endophenotypic marker for the disorder. Finding such markers may help in providing firm neurobiological basis for psychiatric nosologies and symptomatic presentations. This review aims to summarize some of the important aspects of findings from functional magnetic resonance imaging studies on the activation of brain structures in relation to working memory paradigms.

A-142 A Correlation between Reading Fluency and Processing Speed in a Child Population

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 1195-1195
Author(s):  
Lara Rifai ◽  
Nisha Kajani ◽  
Kayla Kotalik ◽  
Ana Lopez ◽  
Lisa Lashley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Reading Fluency ◽  
Oral Reading ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Intellectual Ability ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Intelligence Scale ◽  
Reading Efficiency

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to determine whether a correlation exists between reading fluency in the WJ-IV ACH and processing speed in the WISC-V. Method The data for this study was derived from a large de-identified database. Participants (n = 90) included individuals who completed the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Fifth Edition (WISC-V), which measures intellectual ability, and the Woodcock Johnson IV Tests of Achievement (WJ-IV ACH), which tests for reading, writing, and mathematic achievement. The participants consisted of 36.7% White, 20% Black, 31.1% Hispanic, and 12.2% Other. From the sample, 66.7% were male and 32.3% were female. All the participants were administered the WISC-V and WJ-IV ACH (mean age = 10.53, SD = 2.50; mean education = 4.6, SD = 2.47). Vocabulary was controlled for. Results The results indicated a significant correlation between the WJ-IV ACH Reading Fluency and the WISC-V Processing Speed Index r(87) = 0.326, p = 0.002. Conclusions Previous research has found that deficits in processing speed affect reading efficiency. Cognitive processes are affected even in children with ADHD who are able to decode words accurately. Processing speed, specifically Coding in the WISC-IV, was found to be significantly associated with verbal span and measures of working memory. Moreover, processing speed and working memory have been found to be significant predictors of oral reading fluency (Jacobson et al., 2011). The current findings confirm a correlation between processing speed and reading fluency in updated versions of the forementioned assessments. Future research should investigate the role of comorbid diagnosis found in the functioning of both processing speed and reading fluency.

scholarly journals Dynamic population coding and its relationship to working memory

2018 ◽  
Vol 120 (5) ◽  
pp. 2260-2268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ethan M. Meyers
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Population Coding ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Firing Rates ◽  
Sustained Activity ◽  
Early Results ◽  
Population Codes ◽  
Dynamic Population ◽  
Insight Into

For over 45 years, neuroscientists have conducted experiments aimed at understanding the neural basis of working memory. Early results examining individual neurons highlighted that information is stored in working memory in persistent sustained activity where neurons maintained elevated firing rates over extended periods of time. However, more recent work has emphasized that information is often stored in working memory in dynamic population codes, where different neurons contain information at different periods in time. In this paper, I review findings that show that both sustained activity as well as dynamic codes are present in the prefrontal cortex and other regions during memory delay periods. I also review work showing that dynamic codes are capable of supporting working memory and that such dynamic codes could easily be “readout” by downstream regions. Finally, I discuss why dynamic codes could be useful for enabling animals to solve tasks that involve working memory. Although additional work is still needed to know definitively whether dynamic coding is critical for working memory, the findings reviewed here give insight into how different codes could contribute to working memory, which should be useful for guiding future research.

scholarly journals The effects of stress and trauma on brain and memory: A view from developmental cognitive neuroscience

1998 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 793-809 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHARLES A. NELSON ◽  
LESLIE J. CARVER
Keyword(s):  
Brain Development ◽  
Cognitive Neuroscience ◽  
Neural Circuits ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Postnatal Life ◽  
Physiological Effects ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Effects Of Stress

Many aspects of brain development depend on experience. Because the major macro-morphological events of brain development occur over the first 2–3 years of postnatal life, this time period can be considered both a period of opportunity as well as a period of vulnerability. In this paper we describe how experience with stress early in life can have a negative impact on certain aspects of brain development, and specifically, those neural circuits that underlie memory. We also describe the effects of traumatic events on the development of the neural basis of memory. In support of our argument, we review the literature on brain, stress, and memory in the context of development. Based on this review, we suggest that the developing brain is particularly vulnerable to the harmful physiological effects of stress, which in turn has the potential to lead to impairments in memory. Unfortunately, there are few empirical data that directly address this hypothesis. In this context we offer a number of suggestions for future research.

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