Frontoparietal and Cingulo-opercular Networks Play Dissociable Roles in Control of Working Memory
George Wallis1, Mark Stokes1, Helena Cousijn1
1University of Oxford.
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
|June 5, 2015
Summary
This study reveals how the brain controls working memory (WM). The frontoparietal network guides attention, while the cingulo-opercular network manages memory output, differentiating prospective and retrospective control.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Previous fMRI studies suggest frontoparietal and cingulo-opercular networks are involved in working memory (WM) control.
- The distinct roles of these networks in WM control remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics of cortical activity during top-down control of working memory.
- To differentiate the roles of the frontoparietal and cingulo-opercular networks in prospective versus retrospective WM control.
Main Methods:
- Magnetoencephalography (MEG) was employed to record brain activity.
- A task was designed with spatial cues presented either before or during the memory maintenance period to compare prospective and retrospective control.
Main Results:
- A frontoparietal network activated following cues in both prospective and retrospective conditions.
- Retrocues led to transient frontoparietal activation followed by cingulo-opercular network activation.
- Top-down modulation of alpha activity in visual/parietal cortex was transient following retrocues, paralleling frontoparietal activation.
Conclusions:
- The frontoparietal network likely mediates top-down modulation for preparatory attention and memory orientation.
- The cingulo-opercular network may play a downstream role in cognitive control, potentially in output gating of working memory.
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