title: The Distributed Nature of Working Memory.
abstract: Studies in humans and non-human primates have provided evidence for storage of working memory contents in multiple regions ranging from sensory to parietal and prefrontal cortex. We discuss potential explanations for these distributed representations: (i) features in sensory regions versus prefrontal cortex differ in the level of abstractness and generalizability; and (ii) features in prefrontal cortex reflect representations that are transformed for guidance of upcoming behavioral actions. We propose that the propensity to produce persistent activity is a general feature of cortical networks. Future studies may have to shift focus from asking where working memory can be observed in the brain to how a range of specialized brain areas together transform sensory information into a delayed behavioral response.
authors.affiliation: Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany; Berlin Center for Advanced Neuroimaging, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany; Clinic for Neurology, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: tbchristophel@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Thomas B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Christophel
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuromodulation & Behaviour, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Vision & Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: P Christiaan
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Klink
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Spitzer
authors.affiliation: Department of Vision & Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Centre for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Pieter R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Roelfsema
authors.affiliation: Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany; Berlin Center for Advanced Neuroimaging, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany; Clinic for Neurology, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany; Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt Universität, Berlin, Germany; Cluster of Excellence NeuroCure, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: John-Dylan
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Haynes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain; D001931:Brain Mapping; D006801:Humans; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*