Temporal expectation based on the duration variability modulates alpha oscillations during working memory retention
While maintaining information over a delay of time, working memory (WM) also allows individuals to prepare the mnemonic contents for prospective utilisation. However, it remains unclear whether the expectation of the time of WM test could modulate neural responses during the retention interval of WM...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-01-01
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| Series: | NeuroImage |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811922009107 |
| _version_ | 1797961119770345472 |
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| author | Fang-Wen Chen Chun-Hui Li Bo-Cheng Kuo |
| author_facet | Fang-Wen Chen Chun-Hui Li Bo-Cheng Kuo |
| author_sort | Fang-Wen Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | While maintaining information over a delay of time, working memory (WM) also allows individuals to prepare the mnemonic contents for prospective utilisation. However, it remains unclear whether the expectation of the time of WM test could modulate neural responses during the retention interval of WM and subsequent performance. Here, we investigated whether temporal expectations based on the variability of delay duration can modulate 9–13 Hz alpha oscillations during WM retention and whether the expectation-induced alpha activity was associated with WM performance. Participants performed a retro-cueing WM task with magnetoencephalography (MEG) (Experiment 1) and a standard WM task with electroencephalography (EEG) (Experiment 2). The expectation of the timing of the WM test was manipulated by the temporal structure of the tasks with small or large variability in the delay durations. We showed that alpha oscillations during retention interval and WM performance varied with duration variability in both of the MEG and EEG experiments. The novel finding was greater alpha-power attenuation over the left frontal and parietal regions during WM retention when the duration variability was small and the test onset was predictable, compared to when the duration variability was large and the test onset was less predictable. Importantly, we observed a positive relationship in variability difference between the response benefit and alpha-power attenuation in the left posterior parietal regions at both MEG-source and EEG-electrode levels. Finally, we confirmed the behavioural benefit when a condition with a fixed delay-duration was included in a behavioural experiment (Experiment 3). When conjoined, the delay duration enables individuals to anticipate when the relevant information would be put to work, and alpha oscillations track the anticipatory states during WM maintenance. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T00:55:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6753a83acf8047a98585dbad695c7404 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1095-9572 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T00:55:27Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | NeuroImage |
| spelling | doaj.art-6753a83acf8047a98585dbad695c74042023-01-05T06:23:25ZengElsevierNeuroImage1095-95722023-01-01265119789Temporal expectation based on the duration variability modulates alpha oscillations during working memory retentionFang-Wen Chen0Chun-Hui Li1Bo-Cheng Kuo2Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, TaiwanDepartment of Psychology, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, TaiwanCorresponding author.; Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, TaiwanWhile maintaining information over a delay of time, working memory (WM) also allows individuals to prepare the mnemonic contents for prospective utilisation. However, it remains unclear whether the expectation of the time of WM test could modulate neural responses during the retention interval of WM and subsequent performance. Here, we investigated whether temporal expectations based on the variability of delay duration can modulate 9–13 Hz alpha oscillations during WM retention and whether the expectation-induced alpha activity was associated with WM performance. Participants performed a retro-cueing WM task with magnetoencephalography (MEG) (Experiment 1) and a standard WM task with electroencephalography (EEG) (Experiment 2). The expectation of the timing of the WM test was manipulated by the temporal structure of the tasks with small or large variability in the delay durations. We showed that alpha oscillations during retention interval and WM performance varied with duration variability in both of the MEG and EEG experiments. The novel finding was greater alpha-power attenuation over the left frontal and parietal regions during WM retention when the duration variability was small and the test onset was predictable, compared to when the duration variability was large and the test onset was less predictable. Importantly, we observed a positive relationship in variability difference between the response benefit and alpha-power attenuation in the left posterior parietal regions at both MEG-source and EEG-electrode levels. Finally, we confirmed the behavioural benefit when a condition with a fixed delay-duration was included in a behavioural experiment (Experiment 3). When conjoined, the delay duration enables individuals to anticipate when the relevant information would be put to work, and alpha oscillations track the anticipatory states during WM maintenance.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811922009107Alpha oscillationAttentionElectroencephalographyMagnetoencephalographyTemporal expectationWorking memory |
| spellingShingle | Fang-Wen Chen Chun-Hui Li Bo-Cheng Kuo Temporal expectation based on the duration variability modulates alpha oscillations during working memory retention NeuroImage Alpha oscillation Attention Electroencephalography Magnetoencephalography Temporal expectation Working memory |
| title | Temporal expectation based on the duration variability modulates alpha oscillations during working memory retention |
| title_full | Temporal expectation based on the duration variability modulates alpha oscillations during working memory retention |
| title_fullStr | Temporal expectation based on the duration variability modulates alpha oscillations during working memory retention |
| title_full_unstemmed | Temporal expectation based on the duration variability modulates alpha oscillations during working memory retention |
| title_short | Temporal expectation based on the duration variability modulates alpha oscillations during working memory retention |
| title_sort | temporal expectation based on the duration variability modulates alpha oscillations during working memory retention |
| topic | Alpha oscillation Attention Electroencephalography Magnetoencephalography Temporal expectation Working memory |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811922009107 |
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