Brain oscillatory correlates of working memory constraints

• Published in: Brain research Vol. 1375; pp. 93 - 102
• Main Authors: Freunberger, Roman, Werkle-Bergner, Markus, Griesmayr, Birgit, Lindenberger, Ulman, Klimesch, Wolfgang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 23.02.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Alpha; Alpha Rhythm - physiology; Attention - physiology; Behavioral psychophysiology; Beta Rhythm - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; brain; Brain - physiology; Brain Mapping; Capacity; cognition; Electroencephalography; Electrophysiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gamma; Humans; Inhibition; memory; Memory, Short-Term - physiology; Mental Processes - physiology; Neurology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Reaction Time - physiology; Theta; Theta Rhythm - physiology; Working memory; Alpha; Gamma; Working memory; Inhibition; Capacity; Theta; Constraint; Central nervous system; Electrophysiology; Cognition; Review; Encephalon; Oscillation
• ISSN: 0006-8993; 1872-6240
• DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2010.12.048

It has been claimed that the coordination of neuronal oscillations differing in frequency is relevant for cognition. However, the validity of this claim has scarcely been investigated. Recent studies revealed that cross-frequency phase coupling and modulations of alpha-power dissociate between retention of relevant and suppression of irrelevant information in visual working memory (WM). We summarize these important results, and discuss possible implications for understanding the neural mechanisms of WM constraints.