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Goal-directed modulation of neural activity during working memory maintenance
Xuqian Li1, Michael J O'Sullivan2,3, Jason B Mattingley4,5
1Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Corner College Road and Cooper Road, St Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia.
Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|November 5, 2025
Summary
Goals actively shape visual working memory maintenance, not just initial encoding. Brain activity shows distinct patterns during maintenance, improving recall accuracy for successful trials.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Visual working memory (VWM) is vital for goal-directed actions.
- Previous models often overlook how goals influence VWM maintenance post-encoding.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate goal modulation of VWM maintenance.
- Determine if goal-directed control extends beyond stimulus encoding.
- Examine the temporal dynamics of goal modulation in VWM.
Main Methods:
- Eighty adults performed visual delayed estimation tasks.
- Electroencephalography (EEG) recorded brain activity during encoding and maintenance.
- Event-related potentials and multivariate pattern analysis were used.
Main Results:
- Orientation tasks showed greater contralateral delay activity than location tasks.
- Task-specific brain patterns were decodable during maintenance but not encoding.
- Goal-directed modulation involves two distinct, dynamic processes.
- Higher decoding accuracy for successful vs. unsuccessful trials during maintenance.
Conclusions:
- Goal-directed modulation actively shapes VWM maintenance, not solely encoding.
- Distinct neural processes underlie goal-directed VWM control over time.
- Successful VWM maintenance is associated with clearer neural representations of task goals.
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