Human working memory is based on dynamic interaction networks in the brain. A research project of the Neuroscience Center of the University of Helsinki sheds light on the neuronal mechanisms sustaining memory traces of visual stimuli in the human brain.
The results show that the maintenance of working memory is associated with synchronisation of neurons, which facilitates communication between different parts of the brain. On the basis of interaction between the brain areas, it was even possible to predict the subject's individual working memory capacity. The results were published last week in the online version of the journal PNAS.
The working memory of an average person can sustain only three of four objects at a time. The brain areas maintaining the working memory are known well, but there is little information about how these areas interact. Robust Short-Term Memory without Synaptic Learning. Citation: Johnson S, Marro J, Torres JJ (2013) Robust Short-Term Memory without Synaptic Learning.
PLoS ONE 8(1): e50276. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0050276 Editor: Dante R. Chialvo, National Research & Technology Council, Argentina Received: May 22, 2012; Accepted: October 23, 2012; Published: January 22, 2013 Copyright: © 2013 Johnson et al. Funding: This work was supported by Junta de Andalucía projects FQM-01505 and P09-FQM4682, by the joint Spanish Research Ministry (MEC) and the European Budget for the Regional Development (FEDER) project FIS2009-08451, and by the Granada Research of Excellence Initiative on Bio-Health (GREIB) traslational project GREIB.PT_2011_19 of the Spanish Science and Innovation Ministry (MICINN) “Campus of International Excellence.”
Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. Introduction Slow but sure, or fast and fleeting? Harnessing network structure The mechanism, which we call Cluster Reverberation (CR), is very simple. . Digit Span - Cambridge Brain Sciences. The digit span task exercises your verbal working memory.
Scientists refer to working memory as the cognitive system that allows the temporary storage and manipulation of information. According to one influential cognitive theory, this system has specialised components, one of which, the 'phonological loop', underlies verbal working memory abilities (Baddeley & Hitch 1974). The phonological loop is comprised of a verbal storage system and a rehearsal system. If you do this task, you may find yourself mentally rehearsing the string of digits as they appeared on screen; this is the rehearsal system in action. It allows the visual inputs to be recoded so that they can enter your short term verbal store and it also refreshes decaying representations (that is, any item that is about to be forgotten). Verbal working memory is involved in many everyday tasks, from remembering your friend's telephone number while you enter it into your phone, to understanding long and difficult sentences.
How to Memorize Things Quickly. People like to joke that the only thing you really “learn” in school is how to memorize.
As it turns out, that’s not even the case for most of us. If you go around the room and ask a handful of people how to memorize things quickly, most of them will probably tell you repetition. That is so far from the truth, it’s running for office. If you want to memorize something quickly and thoroughly, repetition won’t cut it; however, recalling something will. The problem is that recalling something requires learning, and we all learn in different ways. Before we start, you need to establish something: are you an auditory, visual, or experiential learner? Step 1: Preparation To optimize your memorization session, pay close attention to which environment you choose.
Next, start drinking some tea. As we get older, toxic chemicals will damage our neurons and synapses, leading to memory loss and even Alzheimer’s. Step 2: Record What You’re Memorizing Step 3: Write Everything Down Step 9: Take a break. Paired Associates Memory Assessment - Cambridge Brain Sciences. In this task you have to remember which objects are hidden in different boxes.
Psychologists call the skills required for this task 'paired-associate-learning', as you are required to learn to pair two items in memory - in this case the type of object and the location of the object. When one of the paired features is revealed (in this case the object), you have to remember its associate (the location it is hidden in). This type of learning is essential in everyday life, for example when learning new words. When you learn a new word, not only do you learn the word itself, but you have to pair this with the meaning it represents. Along with our colleagues at the University of Cambridge and at the Institute of Psychiatry in London, we investigated which areas of the brain become active when performing this task. Furthermore, we studied what happens to this activation pattern when the task gets harder and harder. References Gould, R.L., Brown, R.G., Owen, A.