Neural subspaces encode sequential working memory without detectable neural sequences
Abstract
The neural mechanisms of multiple-item working memory are not well understood. In the current study, we address two competing hypotheses about the neural basis of sequential working memory: neural subspaces versus neural sequences. Using broadband MEG data from human participants, we applied dimensionality reduction and multivariate decoding techniques to test whether a sequence of items is maintained through the reactivation of individual items in sequence (neural sequences) or by organizing them into distinct low-dimensional subspaces (neural subspaces). Our results revealed behaviorally relevant, low-dimensional neural subspaces that organized memory representations according to ordinal position in the sequence, supporting the neural subspaces hypothesis. In contrast, we found no evidence of sequential neural replay during the retention period, contrary to the neural sequences hypothesis. In this work, we show that sequential working memory is maintained through structured geometric organization in low-dimensional representational space, rather than through the sequential reactivation of individual items, thus clarifying the mechanisms of multi-item working memory.
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BibTeX
@article{santoangles2026neural,
title = {{Neural subspaces encode sequential working memory without detectable neural sequences}},
author = {Aniol Santo-Angles and Jiarui Yang and Ying Zhou and Wing Kwan Hannah Chu and Grace W. Lindsay and Kartik K. Sreenivasan},
journal = {Nature Communications},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1038/s41467-026-78895-x},
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-78895-x},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Neural subspaces encode sequential working memory without detectable neural sequences
AU - Aniol Santo-Angles
AU - Jiarui Yang
AU - Ying Zhou
AU - Wing Kwan Hannah Chu
AU - Grace W. Lindsay
AU - Kartik K. Sreenivasan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Nature Communications
DO - 10.1038/s41467-026-78895-x
UR - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-78895-x
AB - The neural mechanisms of multiple-item working memory are not well understood. In the current study, we address two competing hypotheses about the neural basis of sequential working memory: neural subspaces versus neural sequences. Using broadband MEG data from human participants, we applied dimensionality reduction and multivariate decoding techniques to test whether a sequence of items is maintained through the reactivation of individual items in sequence (neural sequences) or by organizing them into distinct low-dimensional subspaces (neural subspaces). Our results revealed behaviorally relevant, low-dimensional neural subspaces that organized memory representations according to ordinal position in the sequence, supporting the neural subspaces hypothesis. In contrast, we found no evidence of sequential neural replay during the retention period, contrary to the neural sequences hypothesis. In this work, we show that sequential working memory is maintained through structured geometric organization in low-dimensional representational space, rather than through the sequential reactivation of individual items, thus clarifying the mechanisms of multi-item working memory.
SN - 2041-1723
ER -