AUTHOR=Chen Youguo , Huang Xiting 

TITLE=Modulation of Alpha and Beta Oscillations during an n-back Task with Varying Temporal Memory Load

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=6

YEAR=2016

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.02031

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2015.02031

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<p>Temporal information can be retained and manipulated in working memory (WM). Neural oscillatory changes in WM were examined by varying temporal WM load. Electroencephalography was obtained from 18 subjects performing a temporal version of the visual n-back WM task (<italic>n</italic> = 1 or 2). Electroencephalography revealed that posterior alpha power decreased and temporal region-distributed beta power increased as WM load increased. This result is consistent with previous findings that posterior alpha band reflects inhibition of task-irrelevant information. Furthermore, findings from this study suggest that temporal region-distributed beta band activity is engaged in the active maintenance of temporal duration in WM.</p>