ABSTRACT

Visual working memory (VWM) relies on a distributed cortical network. Yet, the extent to which individual cortical areas, like early visual cortex and intraparietal sulcus, are essential to VWM storage remains debated. Here, we reanalyze key datasets from two independent labs to address three topics at the forefront of current-day VWM research: Resiliency of mnemonic representations against visual distraction, the role of attentional priority in memory, and brain–behavior relationships. By utilizing different analysis approaches, each designed to test different aspects of mnemonic coding, our results provide a comprehensive perspective on the role of early visual and intraparietal areas. We emphasize the importance of analysis choices, and how a thorough understanding of the principles they test is crucial for unraveling the distributed mechanisms of VWM. Consequently, we caution against the idea of a singular essential storage area, which could limit our comprehension of the VWM system.

摘要

视觉工作记忆 (VWM) 依赖于分布式皮层网络。然而，单个皮层区域（如早期视觉皮层和顶内沟）对 VWM 存储的重要性仍存在争议。在这里，我们重新分析了来自两个独立实验室的关键数据集，以解决当今 VWM 研究最前沿的三个主题：助记词表示对视觉干扰的弹性、注意力优先在记忆中的作用以及大脑与行为的关系。通过利用不同的分析方法，每种方法都旨在测试助记符编码的不同方面，我们的结果提供了关于早期视觉和顶内区域作用的全面视角。我们强调分析选择的重要性，以及对他们测试的原理的透彻理解对于解开 VWM 的分布式机制至关重要。因此，我们对单一基本存储区域的想法提出警告，这可能会限制我们对 VWM 系统的理解。