Dynamic neural representations in the prefrontal and parietal cortex during selective retrieval

1117 

Abstract Submission 

Jisu Park¹, Sue-Hyun Lee¹

¹Department of Psychology, College of Social Sciences, Seoul National University (SNU), Seoul, Korea, Republic of

Jisu Park  
Department of Psychology, College of Social Sciences, Seoul National University (SNU)
Seoul, Korea, Republic of

Sue-Hyun Lee  
Department of Psychology, College of Social Sciences, Seoul National University (SNU)
Seoul, Korea, Republic of

The retrieval of selectively relevant information from stored memory is an essential process guiding goal-directed behaviors. State-based models of working memory propose that the selective reactivation of goal-related memory traces, facilitated by attentional focus, brings memorized information into working memory (D'Esposito and Postle, 2015). However, while prior studies of working memory have predominantly examined the neural processing of just-experienced information (Lepsien and Nobre, 2007; Harrison and Tong, 2009; Lee, Kravitz and Baker, 2013), the specific neural mechanisms underlying the activation of goal-dependent information and the suppression of irrelevant information from long-term memory in the brain still remain elusive.

To elucidate the specific neural mechanisms underlying goal-dependent selective retrieval, we conducted an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment, consisting of separate sessions for learning and selective retrieval. During the learning session, participants memorized scenes in which multiple objects are naturally placed. On the following day, the participants were instructed to selectively retrieve a cued object from the memorized scene inside the scanner, followed by independent scans of object and scene perception.
To investigate neural representations of goal-relevant object information selectively retrieved from original scenes, we directly compared neural response patterns during selective retrieval with those elicited by perception of objects or scenes. Simultaneously, we examined retrieval cue-specific representations during selective retrieval by comparing neural response patterns elicited by the same retrieval cue and those elicited by different cue.
Additionally, we tracked temporal changes in neural representations by comparing pattern similarities between adjacent time points.

The direct comparison between retrieval and perception patterns revealed dissociable information processing in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and angular gyrus (AG) during selective retrieval. The dlPFC and AG commonly represented the goal-related original scene information during the early phase of selective retrieval. On the other hand, the AG primarily represented the targeted object, whereas the dlPFC showed prominent representations of non-targeted objects. During the later phase of retrieval, shared representations between retrieval and perception were not observed in either area. In parallel, we found a persistent retrieval cue-specific representation during this later phase in both the dlPFC and AG.
By comparing pattern similarities between adjacent time points, we confirmed distinct neural representations between the early and later phases of retrieval. Specifically, while dynamic changes in neural representation were observed during the early phase, consistently similar representations across time points were observed during the later phase.

These findings suggest that goal-dependent retrieval of selective information involves dissociable information processing in the prefrontal and parietal cortex, along with dynamic temporal changes in neural representations in both areas.

Long-Term Memory (Episodic and Semantic) ²

Working Memory ¹

Memory

Other - Working Memory; Selective Retrieval; Prefrontal Cortex; Parietal Cortex; Long-term Memory