Retrospective cues mitigate information loss in human cortex during working memory storage

摘要: Working memory (WM) enables the flexible representation of information over short intervals. It is well-established that WM performance can be enhanced by a retrospective cue presented during storage, yet neural mechanisms responsible for this benefit are unclear. Here, we tested several explanations retro-cue benefits quantifying changes in spatial representations reconstructed from alpha-band (8-12 Hz) EEG activity before and after presentation cue. This allowed us to track cue-related with high temporal resolution (tens milliseconds). Participants encoded locations two colored discs subsequent report. During neutral trials an uninformative instructed participants remember both across blank delay, observed monotonic decrease fidelity time. valid 100% reliable indicated color disc would probed Critically, cues were immediately termination encoding display (valid early or VE trials) midway through delay period late VL trials). gradual loss location-specific was eliminated, while it partially reversed. Our findings suggest retro-cues engage different together serve mitigate storage.