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Time Cells in the Human Brain Support Working Memory Maintenance
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|February 6, 2026
Summary
Researchers discovered time cells in the human brain that form sequences to support working memory (WM). These neural dynamics, previously seen in rodents, encode memory cues and elapsed time, aiding information retention.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Systems Neuroscience
Background:
- Working memory (WM) is crucial for cognition, but its neural basis is not fully understood.
- Rodent studies identified "time cells" forming sequences to encode temporal information during WM.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if similar time-cell dynamics support working memory in the human brain.
- To analyze neural recordings for temporal coding mechanisms in human WM.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of intracranial single-neuron recordings from human patients during a WM task.
- Examined neural activity in medial frontal and medial temporal regions.
Main Results:
- Identified time cells with temporally tuned activation during WM maintenance, forming sequences across the delay period.
- Time-cell coordination in the hippocampus predicted WM success; in the pre-supplementary motor area, it reflected memory load.
- Discovered cue-selective time cells encoding both memory identity and elapsed time.
Conclusions:
- Time-cell sequences are a conserved neural mechanism supporting human working memory.
- These sequences provide a temporally structured code for maintaining information, complementing other neural codes.
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