Year-end Sale % OFF 
Abstract
Ever since it was discovered in the monkey’s prefrontal cortex, persistent neuronal activity during the delay period of delay tasks has been considered a phenomenon of working memory. Operationally, this interpretation is correct, because during that delay those tasks require the memorization of a sensory cue, commonly visual. What is incorrect is the assumption that the persistent activity during the delay is caused exclusively by the retention of the sensory cue. In this brief review, the author takes the position that the neural substrate of working memory is an array of long-term memory networks, that is, of cognitive networks (cognits), updated and orderly activated for the attainment of a behavioral goal. In the case of a behavioral task, that activated array of cognits has been previously formed in long-term memory (throughout this text, the expression “long-term memory” refers to all experiences acquired after birth, including habits and so-called procedural memory, such as the learning of a behavioral task). The learning of a task is the forming of synaptic associations between neural representations of three cognitive components of the task: perceptual, motor, and reward-related. Thereafter, when needed, the composite cognit of the task is activated in an orderly fashion to serve working memory in the perception-action cycle. To make his points on a complex issue, which has been the focus of his work, and to delineate a frontier for future research, the author refers to several of his own publications and previously published reviews.
Highlights
Hughlings Jackson (1958) noted that the very same neural elements that represent a movement in the motor cortex are in charge of its execution
The presence in the primate brain of a system for long-term memory and another for working memory is at odds with all the pertinent empirical evidence
A massive body of experimental and clinical evidence indicates that working memory consists of the temporary activation of an updated cortical network of long-term memory for the attainment of an objective
Summary
Hughlings Jackson (1958) noted that the very same neural elements that represent a movement in the motor cortex are in charge of its execution. I extend that principle to the entirety of the nervous system, from genetic ‘‘representations’’ (phyletic memory), like the anatomical structure of primary motor, sensory, and reward systems, to the representation of personal memories in the cortex of association. Memory is recalled or put to work by activation of the neural structure that represents it. According to this view, a learned delayed-response task, with all its component operations, including working memory, is represented and executed by a vast network of cortical memory that represents sensory stimuli, motor responses, and reward (or approval). If we replace the word representation by the word memory, in this as in other conditions of the organism, we may reach the conclusion that in the brain there are no systems of memory but there is the memory of systems, and working memory is the temporary activation of perceptual, executive and reward systems’ memory toward a goal
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
