Articles tagged with Working Memory
Researchers found that distributed codes among larger populations of neurons in the prefrontal cortex make information more reliable and robust. This discovery could support advanced cognitive abilities and potentially treat disorders of memory and cognition.
Researchers from Ruhr-University Bochum investigated bird brains to understand working memory limitations. They found that birds and monkeys share the same central mechanisms and limits of working memory, with a capacity of about four items of information simultaneously.
Researchers have found that stimulating the anterior thalamus can increase memory-related brain activity and restore memory function in rats with MTT lesions. The study suggests that therapies targeting this region could help recover memory in patients with brain injury, challenging previous notions of memory recovery.
A large study comparing the brains of left-handers and right-handers found significant differences in brain asymmetry across ten regions. The research also discovered a link between genetic influences on handedness and brain asymmetries in language-related regions.
A team of psychological scientists and criminologists recommend testing eyewitness memory only once to prevent contaminated memories from convicting innocent people. The first identification is the most reliable test, which can avoid further contamination and ensure justice.
A pilot study found improvements in memory, motor function, and processing skills in healthy individuals after receiving transcranial photobiomodulation therapy. The therapy, involving infrared light, has the potential to alleviate nerve cell damage and reduce symptoms of dementia.
A University of Kansas study examined three key cognitive functions in teaching writing to Hispanic English learners, revealing word retrieval skills, verbal language skills, and working memory are crucial for success. The research highlights the negative effects of a lack of bilingual education on these students' writing abilities.
A study published in Communications Biology reveals that chronic hyperglycemia in diabetes impairs working memory performance by altering the connection between key brain regions. Researchers found that areas critical for forming and retrieving memories were over-connected, leading to errors in remembering correct information.
A Bristol-led research team has identified specific receptors for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine that re-route information flowing through memory circuits in the hippocampus. The discovery holds promise for developing new, safer treatments for conditions like Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia.
A team of scientists found that brain regions responsible for working memory also gauge the quality and uncertainty of memories, enabling humans to make informed decisions. The study reveals that the same neural populations encode both content and uncertainty of working memory.
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine found that a modular network organization is critical for persistent neural activity in the brain. The study revealed that each hemisphere makes its own copy of information and coordinates with the other hemisphere to ensure coherent information during working memory.
Researchers develop a novel technique to identify specific neural pathways involved in high-order executive functions, including working memory and decision-making. The study reveals that these functions are controlled by different neural pathways linking specific brain areas.
A large study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet found that visual working memory and reasoning tasks improved math skills in young children more than spatial rotation exercises. The study suggests that training the type of cognitive skill matters for academic performance in math.
Researchers found that adaptive cognitive training program Cogmed Working Memory Training improved visual working memory, verbal short-term memory, and math fluency in children with SCD. Patients who completed at least 10 training sessions showed the most significant benefits.
Research by Matthew Panichello and Timothy Buschman found that attention and working memory share the same neural mechanisms, with neurons in the prefrontal cortex controlling both. This allows for dynamic transformation of memories to guide behavior, like rotating a paper to read text.
A new study found that healthy individuals experiencing everyday pain show deficits in working memory due to increased activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Pain intensity was directly associated with worse performance on a working memory task, while certain aspects of emotional distress were not linked to impairments.
Researchers found that younger children have limited working memory, making it harder to remember tasks after interruptions. This study suggests providing structure and helping parents support their child's online learning. The findings provide a first step toward creating educational materials tailored to individual developmental levels.
Research suggests that regular afternoon napping may be associated with better mental agility, including improved locational awareness, verbal fluency, and working memory. The study found significant differences in cognitive performance scores among nap-takers compared to non-nappers.
Research finds that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex drives self-bias in working memory, allowing individuals to recall information about themselves faster than others. This brain region is activated when holding self-representing stimuli in working memory.
A new computational model reveals how the brain maintains short-term information using specific types of neurons, including inhibitory neurons. Good working memory requires long-timescale neurons to be prevalent and strong connections between these neurons.
A new study published in Nature Communications used brain imaging techniques to examine how people purge thoughts from their working memory. The researchers found that 'clear' and 'replace' strategies led to faster forgetting, while 'suppress' was more effective for making room for new information.
Researchers found that dynamic interplay of brain wave frequencies, rather than dedicated circuitry, governs the brain's knack for highlighting surprising and downplaying predictable stimuli. This regulatory system has a key role in predictive coding, which is disrupted in autism spectrum disorders.
Researchers review 'multi-state memory' data storage technology that stores more than just 0s and 1s, enabling high-density storage and fast access. The technology has the potential to enhance storage density without scaling down device dimensions.
A study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience found that musically trained children outperform their non-trained peers in attention and working memory tasks. The research suggests two underlying mechanisms: domain-specific auditory encoding and domain-general attention control.
Researchers found that working memory is not confined to one brain area but requires synchronous activity of at least two regions. Gpr12 receptors in the thalamus are essential for establishing synchrony between the prefrontal cortex and other brain areas, leading to improved working memory performance.
A study from the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya found that people who played video games regularly as children performed better in working memory tasks even after stopping. However, those without gaming experience showed slower performance and did not benefit from improvements in processing irrelevant stimuli.
Researchers found that single neurons' down-regulation of excitability can provide working memory for language processing. The model establishes context-dependent and serial order-sensitive memory, ideal for language comprehension.
A UC Riverside-led study highlights the importance of working memory capacity in social distancing compliance. Individuals with higher working memory capacity are more likely to follow recommended guidelines, even after controlling for psychological and socioeconomic factors.
A multi-institutional research team found that humans and non-human primates can represent recursive sequences, suggesting a universal cognitive ability. The study's findings dispel the long-held belief that only humans possess this capacity.
Researchers analyzed child brain activity using fMRI to predict working memory abilities during development. The study found that brain network activity in the frontoparietal network was unique to working memory and reflected individual capabilities.
Researchers at Skoltech discovered that non-invasive magnetic stimulation of the brain can enhance human working memory. The effects of magnetic stimulation weaken as the brain works on a cognitive task under stimulation. Cognitive activity can even reduce the efficiency of TMS, suggesting new protocols may be needed for optimal results.
Yale researchers identified a critical molecule in prefrontal cortex circuits that enables working memory. Activating this receptor may offer potential treatments for neurocognitive disorders like schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease.
A recent study by University of Arkansas researcher Darya Zabelina found that caffeine significantly improves convergent thinking, while having no impact on divergent thinking. Caffeine consumption did not affect working memory, but improved mood and reduced feelings of sadness in test subjects.
A Penn State study found that hydration levels among women are associated with lower scores on tests measuring motor speed, sustained attention, and working memory. The researchers suggest that being 'in the sweet spot' of hydration is best for cognitive function, particularly for tasks requiring sustained attention.
Researchers found that working memory training relies on task-specific strategies to improve performance, rather than increasing capacity. Hundreds of commercial programs claim to boost memory, but their effects are limited to similar tasks.
A new study found that poverty worsened the working memory of refugee youth, while exposure to war-related trauma did not have lasting impacts on executive function. The researchers suggest that addressing ongoing poverty is crucial for improving learning outcomes and educational achievement in adolescents affected by war.
Researchers discovered a link between SETD1A gene mutations and schizophrenia risk in mice. Restoring the gene's function reversed behavioral and neuronal abnormalities, suggesting potential treatment strategies.
A new study suggests that slower growth in working memory is associated with motor vehicle crashes among teenagers. The research found that young drivers with less-than-average working memory growth were more likely to report being involved in a crash, while those with greater-than-average growth were less likely.
Research of 84 young drivers explores association between working memory differences and motor vehicle crashes. The study suggests that variations in working memory development may be a critical factor in determining the risk of crashes among young drivers.
A new study suggests that exercise can improve cognitive functions and working memory in some older individuals after just one session. The researchers found increased connectivity between brain regions involved in cognition and memory, leading to better performance on memory tests.
A team of researchers at HSE University found that working memory stores objects and their features independently, making it easier to remember single-object information. This hierarchical structure suggests that working memory can store multiple types of information simultaneously.
Researchers have created a new type of electronic memory device that consumes significantly less energy than current devices, potentially reducing peak power consumption in data centres by a fifth. The invention could transform daily life with its ability to enable computers to instantly go into an energy-saving sleep mode.
A new article in Neuron presents a model of working memory that captures its flexibility through high-dimensional random networks and structured sensory networks. The model suggests a tradeoff between flexibility and capacity in working memory.
Researchers found that rTMS improved working memory performance in both young and older adults, with the effect most pronounced when participants were actively using the information. The study suggests that brain stimulation may be a viable treatment option for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.
A UC Riverside-led team found strong associations between working memory and factors like sleep quality, age, and depressed mood. The researchers discovered that each factor affects different aspects of working memory, with poor sleep quality and depressed mood linked to reduced quantitative memory.
Researchers analyzed 82 studies on working memory mechanisms in adults of different age groups. Meta-analyses showed that brain function decreases agreement with aging, suggesting functional reorganization in the prefrontal cortex. This changes may be a sign of compensatory function or increased variability in older adults.
Researchers at Boston University found that electrostimulation can improve working memory in older adults by restoring neural pathways and synchronization. The technique also shows promise for younger individuals, as it enhanced memory performance even among those in their 20s.
A study published in Psychological Science found that our brains automatically prioritize self-referential stimuli, such as our names or faces, over random information. This 'self-referential bias' can drive decisions and behaviors, potentially leading to selfish outcomes.
Researchers found that note-taking during trials enhances jurors' recall of critical evidence and influences verdicts. Jurors with faster handwriting speed, higher short-term memory capacity, and better sustained attention remembered more incriminating evidence, leading to a greater likelihood of finding the defendant guilty.
Researchers found that left-branching language speakers outperformed right-branching language speakers in recalling initial stimuli across verbal and non-verbal working memory tasks. This suggests that the language structure affects the way native speakers process, store, and retrieve information.
Patients with type 1 diabetes exhibit altered brain connectivity patterns compared to healthy individuals, according to a new study published in PLOS ONE. The research, led by the University of Barcelona, employed fMRI techniques to investigate brain activity during working memory tasks.
Researchers used place cells to determine a rat's location and predicted its next move. The findings provide insight into how rats think about space and solve spatial memory tasks.
A two-part study by University of Oregon psychologist Marjorie Taylor found that 17% of children aged 8-12 create complex imaginary worlds, reflecting positive creativity, strong storytelling skills, and social connections. These 'paracosms' were often shared with friends, suggesting a social aspect to this childhood phenomenon.
A new model of working memory proposes that the brain uses coordinating ensembles of cells with timely bursts of activity at specific brain wave frequencies to hold information in mind. This model challenges traditional beliefs about brainwaves having functional meaning and working memory being maintained by persistent neural firing.
Earl Miller, a renowned expert in working memory, has developed a new model known as Working Memory 2.0, which recognizes the interplay between two distinct rhythms in the cortex. The Cognitive Neuroscience Society awarded Miller the prize for his groundbreaking research with potential to revolutionize the field.
A new study published in British Journal of Psychology found that both aerobic exercise and upright posture improve visual working memory compared to passive and seated conditions. The research suggests that neural origins of these effects take place in the brain.
Researchers found that consumers engage more with high-arousal negative content in the morning and boosted, cognitive-requirement posts in the afternoon. By aligning post schedules with target audiences' circadian rhythms, digital content platforms can increase traffic and advertising revenue.
Research suggests that living in greener neighborhoods can positively impact children's cognitive functioning, particularly in spatial working memory and mathematics performance. A study of 4758 English children found a strong association between neighborhood greenspace and improved spatial working memory.
Weiwei Zhang, a UC Riverside psychologist, has received a five-year, $1.4 million grant to investigate how the brain supports encoding, maintaining, and accessing precise short-term and long-term memories.
A new study published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence found that most teenagers do have behavioral brakes, contradicting the long-held idea that adolescence is a time of impulsive behavior. The research suggests that only children with weak cognitive control are at risk for trouble in adulthood.