Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

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...
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.
Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory01:26

Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory

Memory is one of the most vital higher mental functions of the brain. Memory is closely related to learning because it enables us to retain information and experiences from our past to use them in our present life. It also helps us to remember facts, events, and skills, such as riding a bike or swimming. There are two types of memory — declarative memory, which involves memorizing facts or events, and procedural memory, which enables us to remember how to do something like writing or playing an...
Cognitive Development During Adulthood01:30

Cognitive Development During Adulthood

Cognitive development continues throughout adulthood, undergoing significant shifts across early, middle, and late stages. Individual transition occurs from adolescent idealism to pragmatic and adaptable thinking in early adulthood. During this period, individuals learn to integrate personal beliefs with the recognition that other perspectives are equally valid. Exposure to the complexities of modern society, diverse experiences, and higher education contribute to this adaptive thought process,...
Forgetting01:21

Forgetting

Forgetting is an intrinsic aspect of human memory, characterized by the gradual loss or inaccessibility of information over time. Hermann Ebbinghaus, a pioneering psychologist, extensively studied this phenomenon and formulated the forgetting curve. This curve illustrates that memory loss occurs rapidly immediately after learning and then decelerates over time. Several mechanisms contribute to forgetting, including encoding failure, storage decay, retrieval failure, and interference.
Encoding...
Amnesia01:13

Amnesia

Amnesia is a condition marked by long-term memory loss, which impairs the ability to recall past events or create new memories.
The severity and duration of memory loss vary depending on the type and underlying cause. Amnesia is classified into two main types: retrograde and anterograde.
Retrograde amnesia is marked by the loss of memories formed before the onset of the condition. Patients may recall distant past events but often forget those occurring shortly before the incident.
Anterograde...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

sEEGnal: an automated EEG preprocessing pipeline evaluated against expert-driven preprocessing.

Computers in biology and medicine·2026
Same author

National genomic surveillance reveals global plasmid and chromosomal dissemination routes of bla<sub>NDM-1</sub>.

npj antimicrobials and resistance·2026
Same author

The exposome of brain aging across 34 countries.

Nature medicine·2026
Same author

Measuring Accuracy (Classification Probabilities, Positive, and Negative Predictive Values) of Executive Function Electroencephalogram Metrics in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Diagnosis: Protocol for and Perspectives From the SINCRONIA Study.

JMIR research protocols·2026
Same author

Evaluating dementia risk prediction in mild cognitive impairment: an early health technology assessment of the AI-Mind tool.

GeroScience·2026
Same author

Adolescent predisposition to binge drinking is associated with differences in inhibitory control MEG event-related fields.

Frontiers in psychiatry·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 31, 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

Age effects on retroactive interference during working memory maintenance.

Elena Solesio-Jofre1, Laura Lorenzo-López, Ricardo Gutiérrez

  • 1Laboratory for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Centre for Biomedical Technology, Madrid University of Technology/Complutense University of Madrid, Campus de Montegancedo, Pozuelo de Alarcón, 28660, Madrid, Spain. esolesio@psi.ucm.es

Biological Psychology
|July 12, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Older adults show greater working memory (WM) decline due to interference, linked to reduced posterior-frontal brain activity. Young adults, however, are more affected by interrupting interference, showing increased neural recruitment.

More Related Videos

Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment
07:01

Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment

Published on: September 20, 2020

An Appetitive Spatial Working Memory Task for Mice in a Semi-Automated 8-Arm Radial Maze, Reducing Fearful Memory Association in the Maze
14:24

An Appetitive Spatial Working Memory Task for Mice in a Semi-Automated 8-Arm Radial Maze, Reducing Fearful Memory Association in the Maze

Published on: July 29, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 31, 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

Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment
07:01

Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment

Published on: September 20, 2020

An Appetitive Spatial Working Memory Task for Mice in a Semi-Automated 8-Arm Radial Maze, Reducing Fearful Memory Association in the Maze
14:24

An Appetitive Spatial Working Memory Task for Mice in a Semi-Automated 8-Arm Radial Maze, Reducing Fearful Memory Association in the Maze

Published on: July 29, 2025

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Neuroimaging
  • Human Aging Research

Background:

  • Working memory (WM) capacity declines with age, with increasing vulnerability to interference.
  • Retroactive interference, encompassing both interrupting and distracting stimuli, poses a significant challenge to WM performance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate age-related differences in brain activity during an interference-based WM task using magnetoencephalography (MEG).
  • To compare neural patterns associated with interrupting versus distracting interference in young and older adults.

Main Methods:

  • Magnetoencephalography (MEG) was employed to record brain magnetic patterns.
  • Participants, comprising young and older adults, performed a working memory task under two interference conditions: interrupting and distracting.

Main Results:

  • Behaviorally, older adults exhibited greater accuracy impairments under both interference types compared to young adults.
  • Young adults showed greater disruption from interrupting interference.
  • MEG revealed reduced posterior-frontal activations in older adults compared to young adults across both conditions.
  • Young adults displayed heightened posterior-frontal activation for the interrupting condition versus the distracting condition.

Conclusions:

  • Age-related working memory deficits are associated with diminished inhibitory mechanisms and under-recruitment of posterior-frontal regions.
  • Both interrupting and distracting interference similarly impact working memory in older adults, suggesting a generalized effect in this age group.