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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.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 18, 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

Functional correlates of distractor suppression during spatial working memory encoding.

M Toepper1, H Gebhardt, T Beblo

  • 1Bender Institute of Neuroimaging (BION), Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany. max.toepper@evkb.de

Neuroscience
|November 21, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is crucial for inhibiting spatial distractions during working memory tasks. This finding supports a functional organization within the prefrontal cortex during executive functions.

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Last Updated: Jun 18, 2026

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions
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Published on: July 16, 2015

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Published on: February 1, 2012

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Neuroimaging

Background:

  • Executive working memory involves prefrontal regions, with evidence for functional specialization within the ventrolateral and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
  • Previous research suggests modality-specific or function-specific organization of the prefrontal cortex.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify specific prefrontal brain areas involved in executive inhibitory processes during spatial working memory encoding.
  • To investigate the neural correlates of spatial working memory by manipulating executive demands.

Main Methods:

  • Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to examine brain activity in 20 healthy volunteers.
  • Participants performed the Corsi Block-Tapping test (CBT) for spatial sequence recall.
  • An adapted Block-Suppression-Test (BST) required active suppression of visual distraction during sequence recall.

Main Results:

  • The left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (BA 9) showed significantly increased activity during the Block-Suppression-Test (BST) compared to the Corsi Block-Tapping test (CBT).
  • This heightened activity in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was associated with the executive demand of inhibiting visual distraction.

Conclusions:

  • The left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex plays a critical role in the executive control of inhibiting spatial distraction during working memory.
  • These findings support a model of functional organization within the dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex during cognitive processing.