Friday Lunch Seminar (English)

February 10, 2023
12:15 〜 13:00
(On-line)

Capacity differences of Working Memory

Mariko Osaka
Senior Researcher, CiNet PI
Brain Function Analysis and Imaging Laboratory
Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet)
National Institutes of Information and Communications Technology (NICT)

Host PI: Mariko Osaka

Abstract:
Working memory refers to the capacity-constrained active memory in which information is temporarily maintained and concurrently processed for the use in an ongoing goal-directed activity. These dual processes are crucially required for higher cognitive brain functions such as text reading or talking to each other.
The reading span test (RST) measures working memory capacity based on how much the target word can be remembered while reading a sentence, and can measure individual differences in working memory capacity. This estimate of RST is believed to be highly correlated with language comprehension, and the capacity measured by RST is thought to measure central executive system of working memory.
From the results of measuring the neural basis of the central executive system of working memory using fMRI, it was found that differences in activation of DLPFC, ACC, and PPC lead to differences in working memory capacity.
In addition, the connectivity of resting-state networks between participants with high and low working memory capacity groups was compared while under resting and working memory task conditions. The findings suggest that working memory capacity differences are related with network connectivity variations in attention control-associated regions during both resting and task performance conditions.