August 2023
Volume 23, Issue 9
Open Access
Vision Sciences Society Annual Meeting Abstract  |   August 2023
The role of theta and alpha oscillations in control of visual working memory-guided attention
Author Affiliations
  • Jiachen Lu
    School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510631, China
  • Xilin Zhang
    Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510631, China
    School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510631, China
Journal of Vision August 2023, Vol.23, 6015. doi:https://doi.org/10.1167/jov.23.9.6015
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      Jiachen Lu, Xilin Zhang; The role of theta and alpha oscillations in control of visual working memory-guided attention. Journal of Vision 2023;23(9):6015. https://doi.org/10.1167/jov.23.9.6015.

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      © ARVO (1962-2015); The Authors (2016-present)

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Abstract

Attention can be directed by not only the external environment but also internal representations held in visual working memory (VWM). The former is known to sample environmental information in a relatively discrete manner, whether this manner is also at play within the latter, however, remains unclear. Here, we performed both the behavioral dense-sampling and high-density electroencephalogram (EEG) experiments to examine this issue. Subjects in both experiments were asked to perform a classical VWM-guided task with two items held in VWM either simultaneously (Experiment 1) or consecutively (Experiment 2). In both Experiments 1 and 2, behavioral results showed that items held in VWM were not continuous but alternated with each other and underwent a theta-band (4-7 Hz) rhythmic fluctuation over time. In other words, the items held in VWM were prioritized in alternation, not simultaneously, to guide our attention. EEG results further showed that the alpha-band oscillation of prioritizing (cued) and suppressing (non-cued) items alternations continued during the memory retention phase, and the amplitude of this alpha-band was significantly correlated with subjects’ behavioral performance. More importantly, the alpha-band oscillation on both posterior sides had significant phase coupling with the theta-band oscillation in prefrontal regions, and the coupling intensity was also leading alternately in a theta-band (4Hz). Altogether, our results suggest that memory is essentially processing multiple objects alternately in time, rather than continuously entangling a single object. In addition, our results also suggest that posterior alpha-band oscillations underlie the flexible activation and deactivation of VWM representations and that prefrontal theta-band oscillations play a key role in the executive control of this process.

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