title: Modality-specific processing streams in verbal working memory: evidence from spatio-temporal patterns of brain activity.
abstract: The present study was concerned with whether there are separate, modality-specific processing "streams" in verbal working memory for information that is heard or read. We used event-related brain potentials (ERPs) recorded from scalp of normal humans to show between-modality differences in spatio-temporal patterns of brain activity during retention in working memory of aurally or visually presented verbal information. The ERP patterns suggested that a sustained, automatically maintained auditory store was activated by auditory presentation and a transient, visual-verbal store was activated by visual presentation. In addition to these modality-specific differences, the ERPs indicated that the phonological loop was activated in both modalities and further suggested that the onset of phonological loop activation was earlier for auditory presentation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore 21201-1559, USA. druchkin@umabnet.ab.umd.edu
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Ruchkin
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Berndt
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ritter
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grafman
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Canoune
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology*