The Dynamic Management of Working Memory Is Supported by Aperiodic Neural Activity

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Neurophysiology
• Psychology

Background:

• Metacontrol involves balancing persistent and flexible cognitive control.
• Previous research linked aperiodic EEG activity to metacontrol in response conflict and task switching.
• The role of aperiodic activity in working memory metacontrol remained unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between metacontrol and aperiodic EEG activity in working memory.
• To determine if aperiodic activity reflects metacontrol biases in memory updating.
• To assess if aperiodic activity is a general indicator of metacontrol dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of electroencephalography (EEG) and behavioral data from two independent samples.
• Participants performed the reference-back task to assess working memory updating.
• EEG aperiodic exponent was measured during different working memory conditions.

Main Results:

• A significant increase in the aperiodic exponent was observed during working memory updating.
• This suggests a metacontrol bias towards persistence when new information is acquired.
• Aperiodic activity changes were linked to metacontrol adjustments in memory tasks.

Conclusions:

• Aperiodic EEG activity is a valid neural indicator of metacontrol in working memory.
• Metacontrol biases influence information selection processes, potentially by modulating aperiodic activity.
• Aperiodic activity reflects the brain's self-organization capabilities for adapting to changing environments.