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A Scalable Touchscreen-Based Spatial Working Memory Task for Cross-Species Research
Casey R Vanderlip1, Shelby R Dunn2, Payton A Asch2
1Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|May 13, 2026
Summary
We developed a new touchscreen task for spatial working memory in marmosets and humans. This scalable cognitive paradigm helps study brain function and diseases across species.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Primate Models
Background:
- The common marmoset is a valuable nonhuman primate model in neuroscience.
- Development of cognitive tasks for marmosets has not kept pace with neural recording and genetic tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- Introduce and validate a touchscreen-based spatial working memory task.
- Enable direct cross-species translation between marmosets and humans.
- Provide parametric control over memory maintenance and interference demands.
Main Methods:
- Developed a Delayed Non-Match-to-Position task using a touchscreen interface.
- Systematically varied memory delay (1, 5, 10s) and spatial separation of stimuli.
- Tested twelve marmosets and seventy-one human participants.
Main Results:
- Accuracy decreased with increased delay and decreased spatial separation in both species.
- Delay and spatial separation interacted, showing additive effects on performance.
- Choice latency analyses supported performance interpretation, with slower responses on incorrect trials.
Conclusions:
- Established a scalable, translationally aligned spatial working memory paradigm.
- The task captures interacting maintenance and interference processes.
- Provides a platform for circuit-level investigation and cognitive assays in marmosets for aging and disease studies.
