Neurocognitive Operations Underlying Working Memory Abilities: An Analysis of Latency and Time-Based Parameters

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Executive attention theory posits neurocognitive operations can be recruited flexibly for task completion.
• This flexibility suggests different cognitive processes may be active at various stages of a task.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if distinct neurocognitive operations are recruited at different time points during response execution.
• To test the hypothesis that early response phases engage different cognitive resources than later phases.

Main Methods:

• The Backward Digit Span Test (BDST) was administered to 58 memory clinic patients (MCI and no-MCI).
• Response latencies for the first and third digit backward responses were measured.
• Latencies were correlated with performance on tests of verbal working memory, visual working memory, processing speed, visuospatial abilities, naming, and verbal episodic memory.

Main Results:

• Slower latencies in the first response correlated with better verbal working memory and visuospatial performance.
• Faster latencies in the third response correlated with better processing speed and visuospatial performance.

Conclusions:

• Neurocognitive operations for executive tasks are not uniform and vary across different time epochs of a response.
• Time-based latency parameters are effective in differentiating successful executive neurocognitive operations in memory clinic patients.