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Related Concept Videos

Working Memory01:24

Working Memory

Working memory refers to a combination of components, including short-term memory and attention, that allow an individual to hold information temporarily as we perform cognitive tasks. It is an essential cognitive function that enables the execution of complex tasks such as problem-solving, comprehension, and reasoning. Unlike short-term memory, which simply involves the storage of information for a brief period, working memory involves the active manipulation and processing of this information.
Interference and Decay01:16

Interference and Decay

Forgetting is a complex cognitive phenomenon influenced by several factors, among which interference and decay are particularly prominent. These processes explain why individuals often struggle to retrieve specific information from memory, leading to lapses in recall that can be observed in everyday situations.
Interference occurs when competing memories hinder the retrieval of particular information. It can be classified into two types: proactive and retroactive interference. Proactive...
Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory01:14

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The cerebellum, while traditionally associated with motor control, also plays a crucial role in memory, particularly in procedural memory, which involves learning motor tasks that become automatic through repetition. For example, studies have shown that when the cerebellum is damaged, individuals or animals lose the ability to learn conditioned motor responses, such as the conditioned eye-blink response in classical conditioning experiments with rabbits. This study demonstrates the cerebellum's...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 21, 2026

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions
10:38

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

Published on: July 16, 2015

Mechanisms of working memory disruption by external interference.

Wesley C Clapp1, Michael T Rubens, Adam Gazzaley

  • 1Department of Neurology and Physiology, Keck Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA. wesley.clapp@ucsf.edu

Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|August 4, 2009
PubMed
Summary

External interference significantly impacts working memory (WM). Processing visual interference rapidly in the visual cortex predicts WM accuracy, revealing distinct neural mechanisms for distraction versus interruption.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Neuroimaging
  • Human Psychology

Background:

  • External interference negatively affects working memory (WM) performance.
  • The precise neural mechanisms causing this disruption remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the neural mechanisms underlying working memory disruption caused by different types of external visual interference.
  • To compare the effects of distraction and interruption on working memory maintenance and neural activity.

Main Methods:

  • Simultaneous electroencephalogram (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) were used in separate experiments.
  • Participants performed a working memory task with visual distraction or interruption stimuli.
  • Neural processing of interference and functional connectivity were analyzed.

Main Results:

  • Rapid visual cortex processing of interference (within 100 ms) predicted subsequent working memory recognition accuracy, irrespective of interference type.
  • Distraction maintained memoranda via middle frontal gyrus and visual association cortex connectivity.
  • Interruption led to a lack of maintenance, with memoranda being reactivated post-interruption.

Conclusions:

  • External interference disrupts working memory through distinct neural pathways depending on the type of interference.
  • Early visual cortex processing of interference is a key predictor of working memory performance.
  • Findings elucidate the neural basis of distraction and interruption effects on working memory and multitasking.