Interacting Memory Systems—Does EEG Alpha Activity Respond to Semantic Long-Term Memory Access in a Working Memory Task?
Memory consists of various individual processes which form a dynamic system co-ordinated by central (executive) functions. The episodic buffer as direct interface between episodic long-term memory (LTM) and working memory (WM) is fairly well studied but such direct interaction is less clear in sema...
| Published in: | Biology |
|---|---|
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2014-12-01
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/4/1/1 |
| _version_ | 1856989135376482304 |
|---|---|
| author | Barbara Berger Serif Omer Tamas Minarik Annette Sterr Paul Sauseng |
| author_facet | Barbara Berger Serif Omer Tamas Minarik Annette Sterr Paul Sauseng |
| author_sort | Barbara Berger |
| collection | DOAJ |
| container_title | Biology |
| description | Memory consists of various individual processes which form a dynamic system co-ordinated by central (executive) functions. The episodic buffer as direct interface between episodic long-term memory (LTM) and working memory (WM) is fairly well studied but such direct interaction is less clear in semantic LTM. Here, we designed a verbal delayed-match-to-sample task specifically to differentiate between pure information maintenance and mental manipulation of memory traces with and without involvement of access to semantic LTM. Task-related amplitude differences of electroencephalographic (EEG) oscillatory brain activity showed a linear increase in frontal-midline theta and linear suppression of parietal beta amplitudes relative to memory operation complexity. Amplitude suppression at upper alpha frequency, which was previously found to indicate access to semantic LTM, was only sensitive to mental manipulation in general, irrespective of LTM involvement. This suggests that suppression of upper EEG alpha activity might rather reflect unspecific distributed cortical activation during complex mental processes than accessing semantic LTM. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8fe8bfcf2c044e7fab9bdcdc7a9a6830 |
| institution | Directory of Open Access Journals |
| issn | 2079-7737 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2014-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| spelling | doaj-art-8fe8bfcf2c044e7fab9bdcdc7a9a68302025-08-19T19:54:06ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372014-12-014111610.3390/biology4010001biology4010001Interacting Memory Systems—Does EEG Alpha Activity Respond to Semantic Long-Term Memory Access in a Working Memory Task?Barbara Berger0Serif Omer1Tamas Minarik2Annette Sterr3Paul Sauseng4Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Leopoldstr. 13, 80802 Munich, GermanySchool of Psychology, University of Surrey, GU2 7XH Guildford, UKDepartment of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Leopoldstr. 13, 80802 Munich, GermanySchool of Psychology, University of Surrey, GU2 7XH Guildford, UKDepartment of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Leopoldstr. 13, 80802 Munich, GermanyMemory consists of various individual processes which form a dynamic system co-ordinated by central (executive) functions. The episodic buffer as direct interface between episodic long-term memory (LTM) and working memory (WM) is fairly well studied but such direct interaction is less clear in semantic LTM. Here, we designed a verbal delayed-match-to-sample task specifically to differentiate between pure information maintenance and mental manipulation of memory traces with and without involvement of access to semantic LTM. Task-related amplitude differences of electroencephalographic (EEG) oscillatory brain activity showed a linear increase in frontal-midline theta and linear suppression of parietal beta amplitudes relative to memory operation complexity. Amplitude suppression at upper alpha frequency, which was previously found to indicate access to semantic LTM, was only sensitive to mental manipulation in general, irrespective of LTM involvement. This suggests that suppression of upper EEG alpha activity might rather reflect unspecific distributed cortical activation during complex mental processes than accessing semantic LTM.http://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/4/1/1betabrain oscillationselectroencephalographysynchronisationtheta |
| spellingShingle | Barbara Berger Serif Omer Tamas Minarik Annette Sterr Paul Sauseng Interacting Memory Systems—Does EEG Alpha Activity Respond to Semantic Long-Term Memory Access in a Working Memory Task? beta brain oscillations electroencephalography synchronisation theta |
| title | Interacting Memory Systems—Does EEG Alpha Activity Respond to Semantic Long-Term Memory Access in a Working Memory Task? |
| title_full | Interacting Memory Systems—Does EEG Alpha Activity Respond to Semantic Long-Term Memory Access in a Working Memory Task? |
| title_fullStr | Interacting Memory Systems—Does EEG Alpha Activity Respond to Semantic Long-Term Memory Access in a Working Memory Task? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Interacting Memory Systems—Does EEG Alpha Activity Respond to Semantic Long-Term Memory Access in a Working Memory Task? |
| title_short | Interacting Memory Systems—Does EEG Alpha Activity Respond to Semantic Long-Term Memory Access in a Working Memory Task? |
| title_sort | interacting memory systems does eeg alpha activity respond to semantic long term memory access in a working memory task |
| topic | beta brain oscillations electroencephalography synchronisation theta |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/4/1/1 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT barbaraberger interactingmemorysystemsdoeseegalphaactivityrespondtosemanticlongtermmemoryaccessinaworkingmemorytask AT serifomer interactingmemorysystemsdoeseegalphaactivityrespondtosemanticlongtermmemoryaccessinaworkingmemorytask AT tamasminarik interactingmemorysystemsdoeseegalphaactivityrespondtosemanticlongtermmemoryaccessinaworkingmemorytask AT annettesterr interactingmemorysystemsdoeseegalphaactivityrespondtosemanticlongtermmemoryaccessinaworkingmemorytask AT paulsauseng interactingmemorysystemsdoeseegalphaactivityrespondtosemanticlongtermmemoryaccessinaworkingmemorytask |