Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/27627
Title: Visual Working Memory Recruits Two Functionally Distinct Alpha Rhythms in Posterior Cortex
Authors: Rodriguez-Larios, J
ElShafei, A
Wiehe, M
Haegens, S
Keywords: alpha oscillations;attention;MEG;memory
Issue Date: 28-Sep-2022
Publisher: Society for Neuroscience
Citation: Rodriguez-Larios, J. et al. (2022) 'Visual Working Memory Recruits Two Functionally Distinct Alpha Rhythms in Posterior Cortex', eneuro, 9 (5), pp. ENEURO.0159 - 22.2022, pp. 1 - 12. doi: 10.1523/eneuro.0159-22.2022.
Abstract: Copyright © 2022 Rodriguez-Larios et al. Oscillatory activity in the human brain is dominated by posterior alpha oscillations (8–14 Hz), which have been shown to be functionally relevant in a wide variety of cognitive tasks. Although posterior alpha oscillations are commonly considered a single oscillator anchored at an individual alpha frequency (∼10 Hz), previous work suggests that individual alpha frequency reflects a spatial mixture of different brain rhythms. In this study, we assess whether independent component analysis (ICA) can disentangle functionally distinct posterior alpha rhythms in the context of visual short-term memory retention. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) was recorded in 33 subjects while performing a visual working memory task. Group analysis at sensor level suggested the existence of a single posterior alpha oscillator that increases in power and decreases in frequency during memory retention. Conversely, single-subject analysis of independent components revealed the existence of two dissociable alpha rhythms: one that increases in power during memory retention (Alpha1) and another one that decreases in power (Alpha2). Alpha1 and Alpha2 rhythms were differentially modulated by the presence of visual distractors (Alpha1 increased in power while Alpha2 decreased) and had an opposite relationship with accuracy (positive for Alpha1 and negative for Alpha2). In addition, Alpha1 rhythms showed a lower peak frequency, a narrower peak width, a greater relative peak amplitude and a more central source than Alpha2 rhythms. Together, our results demonstrate that modulations in posterior alpha oscillations during short-term memory retention reflect the dynamics of at least two distinct brain rhythms with different functions and spatiospectral characteristics.
URI: https://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/27627
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1523/eneuro.0159-22.2022
Other Identifiers: ORCID iD: Julio Rodriguez Larios https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4014-2973
ORCID iD: Saskia Haegens https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9676-6275
ENEURO.0159-22.2022
Appears in Collections:Dept of Life Sciences Research Papers

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