Influence of working memory overload on emotional processing and recognition memory: An fNIRS study

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Psychology

Background:

• Working memory is crucial for cognitive functions.
• Emotional processing and memory are complex cognitive domains.
• The interplay between cognitive load and emotional responses is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of working memory overload on emotional processing.
• To examine the impact of working memory overload on recognition memory.
• To explore the role of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in managing cognitive load during emotional tasks.

Main Methods:

• 70 healthy volunteers were divided into experimental (working memory overload) and control groups.
• Emotional processing was assessed using subjective ratings and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).
• Recognition memory for affective stimuli was tested after emotion induction.

Main Results:

• Participants with working memory overload rated negative stimuli as less unpleasant.
• Higher fNIRS activation in the DLPFC was observed in the overloaded group, especially for high arousal stimuli.
• The experimental group demonstrated enhanced recognition memory for negative and high arousal stimuli.

Conclusions:

• Working memory overload modulates emotional processing and recognition memory.
• The DLPFC plays a significant role in emotion processing under cognitive load.
• Findings highlight the importance of cognitive load management in emotional responses.