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Updated: Jun 14, 2026
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A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions
Published on: July 16, 2015
Individual differences in working memory capacity and distractor processing: possible contribution of top-down
Takehiro Minamoto1, Mariko Osaka, Naoyuki Osaka
1Department of Psychology, Faculty of Letters, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Honmachi Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan. minamoto.takehiro@letters.mbox.media.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Brain Research
|April 13, 2010
Summary
High working memory capacity (WMC) is linked to better inhibition of distractions. This study found that superior inhibitory ability in high WMC individuals relies on efficient top-down modulation from the left middle frontal gyrus.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Individual differences in working memory capacity (WMC) correlate with inhibitory control abilities.
- High WMC is associated with superior inhibition of irrelevant information, while low WMC shows deficits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural underpinnings differentiating inhibitory abilities between high and low WMC individuals.
- To identify specific brain structures involved in the modulation of distraction based on WMC.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed during a face working memory task with distracting stimuli.
- Brain activity was measured in regions including the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), fusiform gyrus (FFG), and left middle frontal gyrus (MFG).
- Behavioral performance was assessed to compare task accuracy and efficiency between WMC groups.
Main Results:
- High WMC subjects outperformed low WMC subjects on the working memory task.
- While the bilateral IFG showed increased activation under distraction, this did not differ between WMC groups, suggesting a general distractor inhibition role.
- The low WMC group exhibited greater bilateral FFG activation, whereas the high WMC group showed stronger left MFG activation.
Conclusions:
- The superior inhibitory ability observed in high WMC individuals may stem from effective top-down modulation originating from the left MFG.
- Neural mechanisms underlying inhibitory control differ between individuals with varying working memory capacities, particularly involving MFG and FFG activity.
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