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Seeking the neural substrates of visual working memory storage
Bradley R Postle1, T Jason Druzgal, Mark D'Esposito
1Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA. postle@wisc.edu
Summary
Working memory for faces is not stored in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Instead, research indicates that posterior brain regions, specifically the posterior fusiform gyrus, are crucial for face working memory retention.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
- Human Brain Function
Background:
- The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is traditionally considered a key area for working memory.
- Recent human lesion studies and neuroimaging data challenge the PFC's exclusive role in working memory storage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural substrates of face working memory retention.
- To test the hypothesis that posterior brain regions, rather than the PFC, mediate face working memory.
Main Methods:
- Event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed.
- Participants performed a working memory task involving the retention of target faces across multiple delay periods.
Main Results:
- Activity in the posterior fusiform gyrus reliably retained target-specific information across all delay periods.
- No significant retention of face representations was observed in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) across distracted delay periods.
Conclusions:
- The findings challenge the established view of the PFC as the primary site for face working memory.
- Working memory for faces appears to be supported by a domain-specific network located in posterior cortical areas.