Prioritizing flexible working memory representations relies on the involvement of the parahippocampal-insula network
Chunli Chen1, Yusi Xie1, Jiaxin Zhao1
1The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Communications Biology
|November 25, 2025
Summary
Retrospective cues in working memory (WM) enhance attention by reactivating memory representations, particularly involving the newly identified parahippocampal-insula networks. This process is crucial for optimizing behavior and attentional control.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
- Working Memory Research
Background:
- Retrospective cues in working memory (WM) guide attention, but the underlying large-scale brain networks are not fully understood.
- The frontoparietal attention network is implicated, yet broader cortical involvement remains elusive.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify novel brain subnetworks involved in retrospective cueing within working memory.
- To investigate the dynamic network activity and its relationship with behavioral performance during WM tasks.
Main Methods:
- Combined electroencephalography (EEG) source localization with Bayesian non-negative matrix factorization.
- Analyzed dynamic network similarity (DNS) to map brain state transitions.
- Correlated network activity with behavioral measures and alpha band oscillations.
Main Results:
- Identified nine WM task-related subnetworks, including two novel networks: the left and right parahippocampal-insula networks (lPIN and rPIN).
- Retro-cues induced stronger memory reactivation via lPIN and rPIN compared to neutral cues.
- Network configuration during encoding and a sparser pattern during retention, featuring lPIN/rPIN as hubs, significantly correlated with behavior and alpha lateralization.
Conclusions:
- The parahippocampal-insula networks play a critical role in enhancing WM behavior through retrospective attention.
- Findings support the attentional strengthening hypothesis of the retro-cue effect at a large-scale network level.
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