New Insights into Working Memory: The Critical Role of Visual Processing Areas

Recent groundbreaking research has expanded our understanding of how working memory functions in the brain. Traditionally, it has been believed that the prefrontal cortex, located at the front of the brain, is primarily responsible for holding and manipulating temporary information like phone numbers or shopping lists. However, new findings reveal that the early visual cortex, positioned at the back of the brain and responsible for basic visual processing such as shape, color, and orientation recognition, plays a significantly more vital role in working memory than previously appreciated.

Published in the journal Nature Communications, this study highlights that working memory is not confined to a single brain region but involves a distributed network spanning multiple areas, including the prefrontal cortex and the early visual cortex. The research, led by Professor Clayton Curtis and doctoral student Mrugank Dake at New York University, employed innovative techniques to directly test the role of the visual cortex.

Using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a non-invasive method of briefly disrupting neural activity, researchers targeted specific regions within the visual cortex of human participants while they held visual information in their working memory. The TMS pulses created temporary 'blind spots' in the visual field, allowing scientists to observe the effects on memory accuracy. Results demonstrated that when the activity of the visual cortex was disrupted in the region corresponding to a specific part of the visual field, participants were more likely to err when recalling details from that area. Notably, interference affecting the visual cortex during both the initial viewing and the memory retention phase indicated that the visual cortex actively participates in maintaining visual information.

These findings challenge the prior view that the visual cortex only processes incoming visual data, revealing its active involvement in the storage and retention of visual memories. This discovery opens new pathways for clinical research, especially in conditions such as schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, and multiple sclerosis, which involve impairments in working memory. For example, current treatments often focus solely on the prefrontal cortex, but this research suggests that targeting the visual processing areas could lead to more effective therapies.

Overall, this research underscores the complex, interconnected nature of our cognitive functions and emphasizes the importance of visual processing in maintaining working memory, expanding our understanding of brain mechanisms involved in temporary information storage.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-memory-complicated-thought.html