Functional organization of working memory in the prefrontal cortex

The architecture of human memory remains one of the great mysteries of modern science, representing centuries of scientific exploration into the mechanisms that shape intelligent behavior. Our research investigates the functional organization of working memory in the prefrontal cortex, administering neuropsychological tests of working memory (e.g., the Wechsler Memory Scale) to patients with focal brain lesions to examine the necessity of specific prefrontal subregions for particular working memory operations. Lesion methods complement physiological studies of the nervous system, which are based on correlational methods (e.g., single- and multi-unit electrophysiology, EEG, MEG, measures of glucose metabolism and the BOLD response), by supporting inferences about the necessity a brain region for a specific cognitive function. Current projects investigate the causal contribution of the dorsolateral and ventromedial prefrontal cortex for the maintenance, monitoring, and manipulation of items in working memory.

References

Barbey, A.K., Koenigs, M. & Grafman, J. (submitted). Dorsolateral prefrontal contributions to human working memory.

Barbey, A.K., Colom, R., Krueger, F. & Grafman, J. (submitted). Neural architecture of general intelligence and executive functions in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

Koenigs, M., Acheson, D., Barbey, A.K., Postle, B. & Grafman, J. (submitted). Areas of left perisylvian cortex mediate auditory-verbal short-term memory capacity.

Barbey, A.K., Koenigs, M. & Grafman, J. (in press). Orbitofrontal contributions to human working memory. Cerebral Cortex. [pdf]

Koenigs, M., Barbey, A.K., Postle, B. & Grafman, J. (2009). Superior parietal cortex is critical for the manipulation of information in working memory. Journal of Neuroscience, 47, 14980-14986. [pdf]