Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Working Memory01:24

Working Memory

1.1K
Working memory refers to a combination of components, including short-term memory and attention, that allow an individual to hold information temporarily as we perform cognitive tasks. It is an essential cognitive function that enables the execution of complex tasks such as problem-solving, comprehension, and reasoning. Unlike short-term memory, which simply involves the storage of information for a brief period, working memory involves the active manipulation and processing of this...
1.1K
Storage01:23

Storage

452
A schema is a mental framework that helps individuals organize and interpret information. Schemata, formed from previous experiences, influence how we process new information: how we encode it, the inferences we make, and how we retrieve it. For instance, a schema for what a typical classroom looks like might include desks, a teacher's desk, a whiteboard, and students in such an environment. This expectation helps us quickly understand and navigate new classrooms without needing to analyze...
452
Long-Term Memory01:18

Long-Term Memory

791
Long-term memory is a relatively permanent type of memory, capable of storing vast amounts of information over extended periods. Its storage capacity is generally considered unlimited.
Long-term memory can be categorized into two primary types: explicit and implicit memory. Explicit memory, also known as declarative memory, involves the conscious recollection of information that we deliberately try to remember, recall, and articulate. This type of memory encompasses specific facts, events, and...
791
Chunking and Rehearsal in Sensory Memory01:22

Chunking and Rehearsal in Sensory Memory

672
Improving short-term memory can be achieved through techniques like chunking and rehearsal. Chunking involves organizing information into larger, more manageable units. This technique is particularly useful for information that exceeds the typical memory span of between five and nine items. For instance, logging into an online account with a password like "ta89vq0179gz" involves grouping letters and numbers into three chunks—ta89, vq01, and 79gz. It makes large amounts of...
672
Sensory Memory01:14

Sensory Memory

783
Sensory memory captures information from the environment in its original form for a very brief duration, just long enough to be exposed to visual, auditory, and other senses. This type of memory is detailed and rich but quickly lost unless certain strategies are employed to transfer it into short-term or long-term memory. Sensory information is continuously bombarding the human brain, yet only a small fraction is absorbed, as most of it does not significantly impact daily life. For instance,...
783
Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory01:26

Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory

2.2K
Memory is one of the most vital higher mental functions of the brain. Memory is closely related to learning because it enables us to retain information and experiences from our past to use them in our present life. It also helps us to remember facts, events, and skills, such as riding a bike or swimming. There are two types of memory — declarative memory, which involves memorizing facts or events, and procedural memory, which enables us to remember how to do something like writing or...
2.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Selective removal of visual working memory items at test.

Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)·2026
Same author

Selective removal of visual working memory items at test.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Past and present goals are represented concurrently during visual search.

PLoS biology·2026
Same author

Contributions from Long-Term Memory Explain Superior Visual Working Memory Performance with Meaningful Objects.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2026
Same author

Population-Level Activity Dissociates Preparatory Overt from Covert Attention.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2025
Same author

Dissociating Spatial Attention and Working Memory Storage with Pupillometry.

Journal of cognitive neuroscience·2025
Same journal

Sensorimotor Adaptation of Vocal Pitch Is Impaired in Cerebellar Ataxia.

Journal of cognitive neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Memory in the Palm of Your Hand: Smartphone-based Methods for Measuring Memory in the Wild.

Journal of cognitive neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Processing Asymmetry in Object-modifying Relative Clauses: Evidence from Functional Connectivity.

Journal of cognitive neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Extensive Experience Remodels Neural Task Circuitry to Escape the Frontal Bottleneck and Increase Automaticity of Categorization.

Journal of cognitive neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Investigating the Effects of Acute Stress on Neural Mechanisms of Self-controlled Decision-making.

Journal of cognitive neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Distilling the Neurophenomenological Signatures of Pure Awareness during Transcendental Meditation.

Journal of cognitive neuroscience·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 6, 2026

Eye Movement Monitoring of Memory
08:06

Eye Movement Monitoring of Memory

Published on: August 15, 2010

15.2K

Content-Independent Pointers Mediate Working Memory Storage for Both Visual and Verbal Stimuli.

Woohyeuk Chang1, Will Epstein2, Henry Jones1

  • 1University of Chicago.

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
|March 4, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Working memory (WM) storage may use a general mechanism, not distinct buffers. This study shows a content-independent "pointer" signal in EEG tracks item number across visual and verbal tasks.

More Related Videos

Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)
09:05

Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)

Published on: June 12, 2017

31.0K
An Appetitive Spatial Working Memory Task for Mice in a Semi-Automated 8-Arm Radial Maze, Reducing Fearful Memory Association in the Maze
14:24

An Appetitive Spatial Working Memory Task for Mice in a Semi-Automated 8-Arm Radial Maze, Reducing Fearful Memory Association in the Maze

Published on: July 29, 2025

1.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 6, 2026

Eye Movement Monitoring of Memory
08:06

Eye Movement Monitoring of Memory

Published on: August 15, 2010

15.2K
Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)
09:05

Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)

Published on: June 12, 2017

31.0K
An Appetitive Spatial Working Memory Task for Mice in a Semi-Automated 8-Arm Radial Maze, Reducing Fearful Memory Association in the Maze
14:24

An Appetitive Spatial Working Memory Task for Mice in a Semi-Automated 8-Arm Radial Maze, Reducing Fearful Memory Association in the Maze

Published on: July 29, 2025

1.7K

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Psychology

Background:

  • Prominent working memory (WM) models propose distinct visual and verbal storage buffers.
  • Behavioral and neural studies support differences between visual and verbal WM storage.
  • Recent research suggests a domain-general WM storage signature independent of content.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if a content-independent neural signal reflects a general WM storage mechanism.
  • To test the hypothesis that this signal represents a "pointer" operation for contextual binding.
  • To determine if this pointer signal generalizes across different stimulus types (visual, verbal, conjunctions).

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of three datasets, including reanalyzed published data and two novel EEG experiments.
  • Application of multivariate EEG pattern analysis to track neural activity.
  • Comparison of EEG patterns across visual (colors), verbal (letters/words), and combined stimuli (colored words).

Main Results:

  • Multivariate EEG patterns consistently tracked the number of items, irrespective of stimulus type (visual, verbal, or combined).
  • A robust, content-independent load signal was identified, stable across perceptual format and stimulus changes.
  • This signal dissociated from neural activity related to spatial attention and cognitive effort.

Conclusions:

  • Findings support a content-independent neural mechanism for tracking the quantity of items in working memory.
  • Evidence suggests a "pointer" signal generalizes across modalities, supporting contextual binding.
  • A dissociation exists between item-quantity indexing and feature maintenance in working memory.