Brain activity associated with working memory load and spatial attention during visual change detection
Abstract
Visual working memory (VWM) and attention interact bi-directionally: external cues modulate the selection of stimuli in VWM, while active representations in VWM can guide attention. However, the neural mechanisms underlying VWM, attention, and their interconnection remain poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated functional mechanics of VWM and the role of attention in VWM using a visual change detection task. We recorded brain responses with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the effects of spatial attention (left vs. right pre-cue), change (present vs. absent), memory load (1, 2 or 4 line orientations while controlling for the number of stimuli), and memory precision demand (15°, 30° or 60° orientation changes). As expected, behavioral performance systematically decreased as the memory load increased or degree of orientation change decreased. Analysis of variance of fMRI activations revealed significant main effects of attention, load, and change across 164 brain areas (determined by Human Connectome Project parcellation), whereas all interaction effects were non-significant. Notably, ca. 75% of these areas exhibited only a single main effect, while two or three main effects converged in 21 parietal, 15 occipital, and 2 frontal areas. Absence of significant interaction effects, combined with multi-feature processing confined to a few fronto-parietal and occipital areas, highlights a largely segregated functional architecture for attention and VWM.
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BibTeX
@misc{laakkonen2026brain,
title = {{Brain activity associated with working memory load and spatial attention during visual change detection}},
author = {Jenna Laakkonen and Chaoxiong Ye and Lijing Guo and Dan Nie and Kimmo Alho and Viljami Salmela},
howpublished = {PsyArXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.31234/osf.io/r7gvn_v1},
url = {https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/r7gvn_v1/},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Brain activity associated with working memory load and spatial attention during visual change detection
AU - Jenna Laakkonen
AU - Chaoxiong Ye
AU - Lijing Guo
AU - Dan Nie
AU - Kimmo Alho
AU - Viljami Salmela
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/20
PB - PsyArXiv
DO - 10.31234/osf.io/r7gvn_v1
UR - https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/r7gvn_v1/
AB - Visual working memory (VWM) and attention interact bi-directionally: external cues modulate the selection of stimuli in VWM, while active representations in VWM can guide attention. However, the neural mechanisms underlying VWM, attention, and their interconnection remain poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated functional mechanics of VWM and the role of attention in VWM using a visual change detection task. We recorded brain responses with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the effects of spatial attention (left vs. right pre-cue), change (present vs. absent), memory load (1, 2 or 4 line orientations while controlling for the number of stimuli), and memory precision demand (15°, 30° or 60° orientation changes). As expected, behavioral performance systematically decreased as the memory load increased or degree of orientation change decreased. Analysis of variance of fMRI activations revealed significant main effects of attention, load, and change across 164 brain areas (determined by Human Connectome Project parcellation), whereas all interaction effects were non-significant. Notably, ca. 75% of these areas exhibited only a single main effect, while two or three main effects converged in 21 parietal, 15 occipital, and 2 frontal areas. Absence of significant interaction effects, combined with multi-feature processing confined to a few fronto-parietal and occipital areas, highlights a largely segregated functional architecture for attention and VWM.
ER -