Electrophysiological analysis of the registration, storage and retrieval of information in delayed matching from samples

Abstract

Brain processes of registration, storage in working memory and retrieval of different kinds of information were studied by analysis of EEG and ERP activity recorded during two delayed matches from sample tasks: 1. (1) matching the digits in two series of six numbers 2. (2) matching the sums of the same two series of six numbers. Each trial was composed of six intervals continuing six equally spaced visual stimuli: 1. (1) control — observing a series of six fixation points, P1, on a computer monitor 2. (2) priming — viewing a series, S 1, of six numbers 3. (3) delay — observing a second series of six fixation points, P2 4. (4) matching — viewing a second series, S 2, of six numbers 5. (5) response selection — selecting the left button to press if S 1 contained all the items in S 2 or the right button if any item appeared only in S 2, while observing six fixation points 6. (6) feedback — six color coded fixation points indicate correct or error. Each interval was 4 s in duration and 20 trials were presented in each task. During each interval the visual field flickered at a tracer frequency of 1.5/s, whether numbers or fixation points were on the monitor screen. Very narrow band power spectra (VNB), ERPs elicited by presentation of S 1 or S 2 information items, and non-contingent probes (NCP) elicited by presentation of fixation points were used to trace the processing of information by neural populations activated by the visual stimulation. Global field power maxima identified latencies at which functional landscapes were analyzed. VNB, ERP, NCP and landscape differences were found between digits and sums. However, though these differences were highly significant within each subject ( p < 0.001), no consistency was found across individuals for the electrophysiological changes during the tasks. This suggests that utilization of brain resources in cognition varies greatly with individual cognitive styles and strategies.