Complementary neural mechanisms for tracking items in human working memory

Yang Jiang, James V. Haxby, Alex Martin, Leslie G. Ungerleider, Raja Parasuraman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

157 Scopus citations

Abstract

Recognition of a specific visual target among equally familiar distracters requires neural mechanisms for tracking items in working memory. Event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging revealed evidence for two such mechanisms: (i) Enhanced neural responses, primarily in the frontal cortex, were associated with the target and were maintained across repetitions of the target (ii) Reduced responses, primarily in the extrastriate visual cortex, were associated with stimulus repetition, regardless of whether the stimulus was a target or a distracter. These complementary neural mechanisms track the status of familiar items in working memory, allowing for the efficient recognition of a currently relevant object and rejection of irrelevant distracters.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)643-646
Number of pages4
JournalScience
Volume287
Issue number5453
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 28 2000

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

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