Neural mechanisms underlying the integration of emotion and working memory

• Published in: NeuroImage (Orlando, Fla.) Vol. 61; no. 4; pp. 1188 - 1194
• Main Authors: Grimm, Simone, Weigand, Anne, Kazzer, Philipp, Jacobs, Arthur M., Bajbouj, Malek
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 16.07.2012; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adult; Arousal; Arousal - physiology; Brain; Brain - physiology; Brain Mapping; Cortical midline regions; Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; Emotions; Emotions - physiology; Humans; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Memory, Short-Term - physiology; Studies; Valence; Verbal working memory; Young Adult; Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; Valence; Verbal working memory; Arousal; Cortical midline regions
• ISSN: 1053-8119; 1095-9572; 1095-9572
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.04.004

The present study aimed at investigating the behavioral effects and neuronal correlates of emotional content and emotional components, i.e. valence and arousal, in the context of a verbal working memory task. Our findings in twenty healthy male subjects demonstrate that (1) word valence has no impact on performance in the verbal working memory task, and (2) that emotion leads to an increase of activation in cognition-related lateral prefrontal regions, whereas cognitive effort yields enhanced deactivation in emotion-related cortical midline regions. The stronger dorsolateral prefrontal recruitment during emotional stimuli may reflect an arousal effect or higher cognitive effort due to interference with emotion. ► We examine the effects of emotional content and components on working memory. ► Valence does not affect verbal working memory performance. ► High emotional content increases activity in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. ► Cognitive effort deactivates emotion-related cortical midline regions. ► Arousal of verbal stimuli modulates prefrontal activity.