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Cognitive control during audiovisual working memory engages frontotemporal theta-band interactions
Jonathan Daume1, Sebastian Graetz2, Thomas Gruber2
1Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, D-20246, Hamburg, Germany. j.daume@uke.de.
Scientific Reports
|October 5, 2017
Summary
Brain regions synchronize during working memory tasks. Enhanced theta-band synchrony between medial temporal lobe and prefrontal cortex supports audiovisual working memory (WM) over visual-only WM.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Brain Oscillations
Background:
- Working memory (WM) maintenance involves cross-frequency coupling (CFC) in medial temporal lobe (MTL) regions.
- Prefrontal cortex (PFC) is thought to control WM via frontotemporal phase synchronisation in low frequencies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if enhanced cognitive control in audiovisual WM, compared to visual WM, correlates with increased low-frequency phase synchronisation.
- To examine frontotemporal communication during audiovisual WM maintenance.
Main Methods:
- Magnetoencephalography (MEG) recorded neural oscillatory activity in healthy participants.
- Participants performed an audiovisual delayed-match-to-sample task.
- Analysis focused on theta-beta phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) and theta-band phase synchronisation.
Main Results:
- Enhanced theta-beta PAC was observed in MTL regions during the WM delay.
- MTL regions showed stronger theta-band phase synchronisation with lateral PFC during audiovisual WM compared to visual WM.
- MTL areas also exhibited enhanced beta-band phase synchronisation with temporooccipital areas.
Conclusions:
- Increased frontotemporal phase synchronisation supports enhanced cognitive control in audiovisual WM.
- A combination of long-range phase synchronisation and local PAC may facilitate neuronal communication across brain regions and frequencies during WM maintenance.
