Load-Dependent Increases in Delay-Period Alpha-Band Power Track the Gating of Task-Irrelevant Inputs to Working Memory.
Load-Dependent Increases in Delay-Period Alpha-Band Power Track the Gating of Task-Irrelevant Inputs to Working Memory.
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DOI：
10.3389/fnhum.2017.00250
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发表时间：
2017
影响因子：
2.9
通讯作者：
Johnson JS
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Heinz AJ;Johnson JS
探索神经振荡在认知中的作用的研究已经揭示了在言语和视觉工作记忆（VWM）任务的延迟期间，α波段功率（ABP）的持续增加。关于这种增加的功能意义，已经有各种各样的建议，包括抑制与任务无关的皮层区域以及在VWM中积极保留信息。本研究探讨了延迟期ABP的作用，在介导的干扰所产生的影响，正在进行的视觉加工过程中的并发VWM任务。具体来说，我们的理由是，如果设置大小依赖性增加ABP代表门控出正在进行的任务无关的视觉输入，他们应该是预测相对于一些调制的视觉诱发电位导致的任务无关的延迟期探头刺激。为了研究这种可能性，我们记录了脑电图，而受试者进行变化检测任务，需要保留两个或四个新的形状。在一部分试验中，一种新的，任务无关的双边棋盘探测器被提出中途通过延迟。分析的重点是检查设置大小依赖性增加ABP和探针诱发反应的P1，N1和P3a分量的幅度变化之间的相关性，以及这种增加可能与行为有关。结果表明，延迟期ABP增加与N1和P3a事件相关电位（ERP）组件的振幅的变化，并与负载依赖性的变化时，在延迟期间提出的探头容量。我们的结论是，负载依赖性增加ABP可能发挥作用，支持短期保留的门控任务无关的感觉输入和抑制潜在的破坏性干扰源。
Studies exploring the role of neural oscillations in cognition have revealed sustained increases in alpha-band power (ABP) during the delay period of verbal and visual working memory (VWM) tasks. There have been various proposals regarding the functional significance of such increases, including the inhibition of task-irrelevant cortical areas as well as the active retention of information in VWM. The present study examines the role of delay-period ABP in mediating the effects of interference arising from on-going visual processing during a concurrent VWM task. Specifically, we reasoned that, if set-size dependent increases in ABP represent the gating out of on-going task-irrelevant visual inputs, they should be predictive with respect to some modulation in visual evoked potentials resulting from a task-irrelevant delay period probe stimulus. In order to investigate this possibility, we recorded the electroencephalogram while subjects performed a change detection task requiring the retention of two or four novel shapes. On a portion of trials, a novel, task-irrelevant bilateral checkerboard probe was presented mid-way through the delay. Analyses focused on examining correlations between set-size dependent increases in ABP and changes in the magnitude of the P1, N1 and P3a components of the probe-evoked response and how such increases might be related to behavior. Results revealed that increased delay-period ABP was associated with changes in the amplitude of the N1 and P3a event-related potential (ERP) components, and with load-dependent changes in capacity when the probe was presented during the delay. We conclude that load-dependent increases in ABP likely play a role in supporting short-term retention by gating task-irrelevant sensory inputs and suppressing potential sources of disruptive interference.