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

Working Memory01:24

Working Memory

95
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...
95

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Ephaptic coupling can explain variability in neural activity.

Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)·2026
Same author

Mechanistic simulation identifies predictive dose-dependent biomarkers of propofol anesthesia.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Mechanistic corticostriatal circuit model predicts learning-dependent fMRI dynamics and individual reward bias in humans.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Oxytocin selectively biases sensory-prefrontal communication through network-level suppression and theta coupling.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Internal state dynamically gates task-specific attractor dynamics in prefrontal cortex.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Anterior cingulate neurons display subregion-specific interaction with frontal eye fields revealed by anti-/orthodromic stimulation and resting-state imaging.

Journal of neurophysiology·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 15, 2025

Automatic Detection of Highly Organized Theta Oscillations in the Murine EEG
09:35

Automatic Detection of Highly Organized Theta Oscillations in the Murine EEG

Published on: March 10, 2017

9.1K

Working memory readout varies with frontal theta rhythms.

Hio-Been Han1,2, Scott L Brincat1, Timothy J Buschman1,3

  • 1The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge MA 02139, United States.

Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|April 8, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Attention rhythmically shifts, guided by brain waves. Theta brain oscillations in the frontal eye field (FEF) coordinate working memory (WM) information retrieval, influencing task performance based on timing and target location.

More Related Videos

Disruption of Frontal Lobe Neural Synchrony During Cognitive Control by Alcohol Intoxication
09:26

Disruption of Frontal Lobe Neural Synchrony During Cognitive Control by Alcohol Intoxication

Published on: February 6, 2019

18.6K
Combining Behavior and EEG to Study the Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Episodic Memory
08:16

Combining Behavior and EEG to Study the Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Episodic Memory

Published on: May 11, 2020

7.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 15, 2025

Automatic Detection of Highly Organized Theta Oscillations in the Murine EEG
09:35

Automatic Detection of Highly Organized Theta Oscillations in the Murine EEG

Published on: March 10, 2017

9.1K
Disruption of Frontal Lobe Neural Synchrony During Cognitive Control by Alcohol Intoxication
09:26

Disruption of Frontal Lobe Neural Synchrony During Cognitive Control by Alcohol Intoxication

Published on: February 6, 2019

18.6K
Combining Behavior and EEG to Study the Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Episodic Memory
08:16

Combining Behavior and EEG to Study the Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Episodic Memory

Published on: May 11, 2020

7.1K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Systems Neuroscience

Background:

  • Attention is increasingly understood to fluctuate rhythmically, synchronized with cortical oscillations.
  • The frontal eye field (FEF) plays a crucial role in visual attention and working memory (WM).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between the phase of frontal eye field (FEF) theta oscillations and the dynamic readout of information from working memory (WM).
  • To explore how temporal and spatial variations in working memory performance correlate with neural activity patterns.

Main Methods:

  • Recorded local field potential (LFP) theta oscillations (3-6 Hz) in the FEF of non-human primates during a visual working memory task.
  • Analyzed the correlation between theta phase at test array onset, target location, and behavioral performance (accuracy, reaction time).
  • Examined the coupling between theta oscillations, neuronal spiking, and beta oscillations (12-20 Hz).

Main Results:

  • Performance on the working memory task varied systematically with the phase of FEF theta oscillations.
  • The phase-dependent performance variations were linked to the spatial location of the target stimulus.
  • Theta oscillations showed phase coupling with both neuronal spiking and beta oscillations, suggesting coordinated neural dynamics.

Conclusions:

  • The phase of FEF theta oscillations modulates the temporal and spatial readout of information from working memory.
  • These findings support a model where rhythmic neural activity, potentially a traveling wave, organizes information processing in the FEF.
  • This rhythmic modulation provides a mechanism for how attention dynamically accesses and utilizes working memory content.