RESUMO
Oscillatory activity in the local field potential (LFP) is thought to be a marker of cognitive processes. To understand how it differentiates tasks and brain areas in humans, we recorded LFPs in 15 adults with intracranial depth electrodes, as they performed visual-spatial and shape working memory tasks. Stimulus appearance produced widespread, broad-band activation, including in occipital, parietal, temporal, insular, and prefrontal cortex, and the amygdala and hippocampus. Occipital cortex was characterized by most elevated power in the high-gamma (100-150 Hz) range during the visual stimulus presentation. The most consistent feature of the delay period was a systematic pattern of modulation in the beta frequency (16-40 Hz), which included a decrease in power of variable timing across areas, and rebound during the delay period. These results reveal the widespread nature of oscillatory activity across a broad brain network and region-specific signatures of oscillatory processes associated with visual working memory.
RESUMO
Oscillatory activity is thought to be a marker of cognitive processes, although its role and distribution across the brain during working memory has been a matter of debate. To understand how oscillatory activity differentiates tasks and brain areas in humans, we recorded local field potentials (LFPs) in 12 adults as they performed visual-spatial and shape-matching memory tasks. Tasks were designed to engage working memory processes at a range of delay intervals between stimulus delivery and response initiation. LFPs were recorded using intracranial depth electrodes implanted to localize seizures for management of intractable epilepsy. Task-related LFP power analyses revealed an extensive network of cortical regions that were activated during the presentation of visual stimuli and during their maintenance in working memory, including occipital, parietal, temporal, insular, and prefrontal cortical areas, and subcortical structures including the amygdala and hippocampus. Across most brain areas, the appearance of a stimulus produced broadband power increase, while gamma power was evident during the delay interval of the working memory task. Notable differences between areas included that occipital cortex was characterized by elevated power in the high gamma (100-150 Hz) range during the 500 ms of visual stimulus presentation, which was less pronounced or absent in other areas. A decrease in power centered in beta frequency (16-40 Hz) was also observed after the stimulus presentation, whose magnitude differed across areas. These results reveal the interplay of oscillatory activity across a broad network, and region-specific signatures of oscillatory processes associated with visual working memory.