Spatial Attention in Serial Order Working Memory: An EEG Study

Abstract Theoretical models explaining serial order processing link order information to specified position markers. However, the precise characteristics of position marking have remained largely elusive. Recent studies have shown that space is involved in marking serial position of items in verbal...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. 1991) N.Y. 1991), 2021-03, Vol.31 (5), p.2482-2493
Main Authors: Rasoulzadeh, Vesal, Sahan, Muhammet Ikbal, van Dijck, Jean-Philippe, Abrahamse, Elger, Marzecova, Anna, Verguts, Tom, Fias, Wim
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Attention - physiology
Brain - physiology
Electroencephalography
Evoked Potentials
Female
Humans
Male
Memory, Short-Term - physiology
Serial Learning - physiology
Spatial Behavior - physiology
Young Adult
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Summary:Abstract Theoretical models explaining serial order processing link order information to specified position markers. However, the precise characteristics of position marking have remained largely elusive. Recent studies have shown that space is involved in marking serial position of items in verbal working memory (WM). Furthermore, it has been suggested, but not proven, that accessing these items involves horizontal shifts of spatial attention. We used continuous electroencephalography recordings to show that memory search in serial order verbal WM involves spatial attention processes that share the same electrophysiological signatures as those operating on the visuospatial WM and external space. Accessing an item from a sequence in verbal WM induced posterior “early directing attention negativity” and “anterior directing attention negativity” contralateral to the position of the item in mental space (i.e., begin items on the left; end items on the right). In the frequency domain, we observed posterior alpha suppression contralateral to the position of the item. Our results provide clear evidence for the involvement of spatial attention in retrieving serial information from verbal WM. Implications for WM models are discussed.
ISSN:1047-3211
1460-2199
DOI:10.1093/cercor/bhaa368