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A common prefrontal-parietal network for mnemonic and mathematical recoding strategies within working memory
1Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge CB2 2EF, UK. daniel.bor@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk
Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|May 19, 2006
Summary
The lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) and parietal cortex form a network for strategic recoding in working memory. This network activates regardless of recoding type, though mathematical strategies engage LPFC more.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neurobiology of Working Memory
Background:
- Previous research implicates the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) in strategic recoding, even when tasks are simplified.
- Studies showed increased LPFC activity for structured vs. random sequences in spatial and verbal domains, suggesting LPFC involvement in reorganizing information.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if LPFC's role in strategic recoding generalizes to different recoding strategies (mnemonic vs. mathematical).
- To identify the neural network involved in strategic recoding across various cognitive domains.
Main Methods:
- Participants performed digit sequence tasks emphasizing either mnemonic or mathematical recoding strategies.
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measured brain activity, comparing structured vs. unstructured sequences and different recoding types.
- Lateral posterior parietal cortex (LPPC) coactivation with LPFC was analyzed.
Main Results:
- Both mnemonic and mathematical recoding strategies improved performance compared to unstructured sequences.
- Increased LPFC activity was observed for both recoding strategies versus control conditions.
- Mathematically structured trials elicited significantly higher LPFC activation than mnemonic trials.
- LPFC consistently coactivated with the lateral posterior parietal cortex during strategic recoding.
Conclusions:
- A prefrontal-parietal network, including the LPFC and LPPC, is crucial for strategic recoding in working memory.
- This network's engagement is independent of the specific recoding strategy employed.
- Mathematical recoding strategies appear to recruit LPFC more intensely than mnemonic strategies.
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