Question 1

What is the CDA? How is it measured? How does it change with memory load?

Accepted Answer

The CDA, or contralateral delay activity, is a neural response that occurs in the brain when individuals are required to hold information in working memory. It is measured using electroencephalography (EEG), which records the electrical activity of the brain. Specifically, the CDA is measured by analyzing the amplitude and frequency of neural oscillations in the brain, particularly in the parietal cortex.

The CDA is known to change with memory load, meaning that as the amount of information held in working memory increases, the amplitude and frequency of the CDA also increase. This suggests that the CDA is directly related to the cognitive effort required to maintain and manipulate information in working memory. As memory load increases, the brain's resources are more heavily engaged, leading to a larger CDA response.

Overall, the CDA provides valuable insights into the neural mechanisms underlying working memory and how the brain handles cognitive tasks related to memory retention and manipulation. Its measurement and analysis can help researchers and clinicians better understand cognitive processes and potentially develop interventions for individuals with memory-related difficulties.

Question 2

What are two electrophysiological measures that have been associated with load manipulations in short-term memory?

Accepted Answer

CDA (contraleral delay activity); alpha-band

Question 3

In which of the following regions have neurons exhibited sustained activity in tests of short-term memory? (Check all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

A)  Inferotemporal cortex
B)  Prefrontal cortex
C)  Thalamus
D)  Posterior parietal B

Question 4

Describe the early PFC lesion studies in monkeys by Jacobson and Malmo. Based on their results, what conclusions did each of them reach?

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Question 5

The earliest studies showing sustained, delay-period activity in the PFC by Fuster and Alexander interpreted this elevated activity to what cognitive construct?

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Question 6

Describe two situations in which lesions to the PFC disrupt performance in working memory tasks.

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Question 7

According to Goldman-Rakic, the equivalent to "what" and "where" pathways in the PFC are specific STM memory systems for:

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Question 8

What two types of information were dissociated in Baddeley and Hitch's cognitive model of working memory?

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Question 9

How might a retrospective MVP of single-unit extracellular recordings yield information that wasn't evident in the original single-unit analysis of the same data set?

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Question 10

Invent a task that measures short-term memory. Now, change that task to measure working memory.

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Question 11

What has been the traditional interpretation of delay-period load sensitivity, in fMRI data, during tests of STM? Are results from MVPA studies consistent with or at odds with the traditional interpretation?

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Question 12

The question of whether elevated delay-period activity in the PFC corresponds to STM maintenance or some other function has been contentious. Summarize one way that the two accounts were pitted against each other in a single study.

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Question 13

What is the difference between short-term memory and working memory?

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Question 14

What interpretation did Fuster and Alexander (1971) and Kubota and Niki (1971) give to the sustained, elevated delay-period activity recorded from PFC neurons?

Accepted Answer

A)  Attention
B)  Short-term memory

Question 15

How has the CDA been redescribed in terms of changes to alpha-band amplitude?

Accepted Answer

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Question 16

What sort of task am I asking you to perform if I give you a mixed-up set of digits and ask you to recall them back to me in order of ascending magnitude?

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Question 17

What further subdivision of the visual/verbal organization of working memory did Goldman-Rakic propose based on the neuroscience literature and research by her group?

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Question 18

What was Hebb's idea about how short-term maintenance is achieved?

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Question 19

What is the "sensory recruitment hypothesis" of short-term memory? What empirical findings are consistent with it?

Accepted Answer

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Question 20

What aspects of STM task performance have PFC neurons been associated with?

Accepted Answer

A)  Encoding
B)  Maintenance
C)  Response
D)  All of the above

Exam 13: Shortterm and Working Memory