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Updated: Jul 30, 2025
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Author Spotlight: Insights into Visual Cortex Research Through Wide-View fMRI Mapping
Published on: December 8, 2023
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Categorical working memory codes in human visual cortex
Chang Yan1, Thomas B Christophel2, Carsten Allefeld3
1Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience and Berlin Center for Advanced Neuroimaging and Clinic for Neurology, Charité Universitätsmedizin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Philippstraße 13, Haus 6, 10115, Germany.
Neuroimage
|May 16, 2023
Summary
Visual working memory uses categorical codes in early visual cortex, not just abstract brain regions. This suggests sensory areas play a key role in storing working memory information.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Working memory relies on neural activity across the cortical hierarchy.
- A proposed model suggests abstract representations in anterior regions and detailed ones in sensory cortices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the nature of neural representations in visual working memory.
- To determine if categorical coding exists in early visual cortex during working memory.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed.
- Multivariate encoding modeling was used to decode neural activity patterns.
- Color stimuli were presented to participants.
Main Results:
- Categorical color codes were found in extrastriate visual cortex (V4 and VO1).
- This categorical coding was specific to working memory, not perception.
- Neural representations differed between perception and working memory.
Conclusions:
- Visual working memory utilizes categorical representations in sensory cortex.
- Early visual areas contribute to the storage of working memory contents.
- This challenges the strict hierarchical model of representation in working memory.
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