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Updated: Jun 13, 2026
07:11
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) of the Visual Cortex with Wide-View Retinotopic Stimulation
Published on: December 8, 2023
Neural synchrony between prefrontal and visual cortex supports visual working memory
Mrugank Dake1,2, Sangita Dandekar1, Clayton E Curtis1,3
1Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|June 12, 2026
Summary
Prefrontal cortex influences visual working memory by synchronizing neural activity. This synchronization in beta-band oscillations helps maintain and recall visual information, explaining brain communication during memory tasks.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
- Human Brain Function
Background:
- Working memory involves distributed neural mechanisms across the brain.
- Prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity persists during memory maintenance.
- Visual working memory content is decodable from visual cortex activity patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how PFC influences visual working memory representations in the visual cortex.
- To test hypotheses on neural synchronization between PFC and visual cortex during memory maintenance.
- To provide direct evidence for PFC's role in coordinating working memory.
Main Methods:
- Used magnetoencephalography (MEG) for high temporal resolution.
- Employed a visuospatial working memory task in human participants (both sexes).
- Analyzed beta-band (π½-band) activity power, topography, and synchronization between brain regions.
Main Results:
- Sustained π½-band power during memory maintenance.
- Visual cortex π½-band topography predicted memorized locations and memory errors.
- Synchronized π½-band neural activity between PFC and visual cortex during memory recall.
Conclusions:
- Findings support models of widely distributed working memories.
- Demonstrate PFC-visual cortex communication via π½-band synchronization.
- Explain how higher-order areas coordinate sensory cortices for memory storage.
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