title: Reactivation of latent working memories with transcranial magnetic stimulation.
abstract: The ability to hold information in working memory is fundamental for cognition. Contrary to the long-standing view that working memory depends on sustained, elevated activity, we present evidence suggesting that humans can hold information in working memory via "activity-silent" synaptic mechanisms. Using multivariate pattern analyses to decode brain activity patterns, we found that the active representation of an item in working memory drops to baseline when attention shifts away. A targeted pulse of transcranial magnetic stimulation produced a brief reemergence of the item in concurrently measured brain activity. This reactivation effect occurred and influenced memory performance only when the item was potentially relevant later in the trial, which suggests that the representation is dynamic and modifiable via cognitive control. The results support a synaptic theory of working memory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA. nrose1@nd.edu postle@wisc.edu.|Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA.
authors.forename: Nathan S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.|Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
authors.forename: Joshua J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: LaRocque
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.|Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
authors.forename: Adam C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Riggall
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.|Coma Science Group, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Olivia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gosseries
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Starrett
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
authors.forename: Emma E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Meyering
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA. nrose1@nd.edu postle@wisc.edu.|Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
authors.forename: Bradley R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Postle
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology*; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; D055815:Young Adult