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Working memory signals in early visual cortex are present in weak and strong imagers

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Working memory signals in early visual cortex are present in weak and strong imagers
Authors: Weber, Simon, Christophel, Thomas B., Görgen, Kai, Soch, Joram, Haynes, John-Dylan
Publisher Information: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Publication Year: 2024
Collection: Open-Access-Publikationsserver der Humboldt-Universität: edoc-Server
Subject Terms: early visual cortex, individual differences, multivariate decoding, visual imagery, working memory, 150 Psychologie, ddc:150
Description: It has been suggested that visual images are memorized across brief periods of time by vividly imagining them as if they were still there. In line with this, the contents of both working memory and visual imagery are known to be encoded already in early visual cortex. If these signals in early visual areas were indeed to reflect a combined imagery and memory code, one would predict them to be weaker for individuals with reduced visual imagery vividness. Here, we systematically investigated this question in two groups of participants. Strong and weak imagers were asked to remember images across brief delay periods. We were able to reliably reconstruct the memorized stimuli from early visual cortex during the delay. Importantly, in contrast to the prediction, the quality of reconstruction was equally accurate for both strong and weak imagers. The decodable information also closely reflected behavioral precision in both groups, suggesting it could contribute to behavioral performance, even in the extreme case of completely aphantasic individuals. Our data thus suggest that working memory signals in early visual cortex can be present even in the (near) absence of phenomenal imagery. ; Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100002347 ; Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001659 ; Max‐Planck‐Gesellschaft http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100004189 ; Peer Reviewed
Document Type: article in journal/newspaper
File Description: application/pdf
Language: English
Relation: https://doi.org/10.18452/28566
DOI: 10.18452/28566
DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26590
Availability: http://edoc.hu-berlin.de/18452/29200
https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:11-110-18452/29200-5
https://doi.org/10.18452/28566
https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.26590
Rights: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Accession Number: edsbas.908E91F6
Database: BASE
Description
Abstract:It has been suggested that visual images are memorized across brief periods of time by vividly imagining them as if they were still there. In line with this, the contents of both working memory and visual imagery are known to be encoded already in early visual cortex. If these signals in early visual areas were indeed to reflect a combined imagery and memory code, one would predict them to be weaker for individuals with reduced visual imagery vividness. Here, we systematically investigated this question in two groups of participants. Strong and weak imagers were asked to remember images across brief delay periods. We were able to reliably reconstruct the memorized stimuli from early visual cortex during the delay. Importantly, in contrast to the prediction, the quality of reconstruction was equally accurate for both strong and weak imagers. The decodable information also closely reflected behavioral precision in both groups, suggesting it could contribute to behavioral performance, even in the extreme case of completely aphantasic individuals. Our data thus suggest that working memory signals in early visual cortex can be present even in the (near) absence of phenomenal imagery. ; Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100002347 ; Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001659 ; Max‐Planck‐Gesellschaft http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100004189 ; Peer Reviewed
DOI:10.18452/28566