Cited by 402Neural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesNeural dynamics and brain functionCognitive Abilities and Testing

The role of prefrontal cortex in working memory: a mini review

Open access
Lara, Antonio H., Wallis, Jonathan D.·2015·Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience

Abstract

A prominent account of prefrontal cortex (PFC) function is that single neurons within the PFC maintain representations of task-relevant stimuli in working memory. Evidence for this view comes from studies in which subjects hold a stimulus across a delay lasting up to several seconds. Persistent elevated activity in the PFC has been observed in animal models as well as in humans performing these tasks. This persistent activity has been interpreted as evidence for the encoding of the stimulus itself in working memory. However, recent findings have posed a challenge to this notion. A number of recent studies have examined neural data from the PFC and posterior sensory areas, both at the single neuron level in primates, and at a larger scale in humans, and have failed to find encoding of stimulus information in the PFC during tasks with a substantial working memory component. Strong stimulus related information, however, was seen in posterior sensory areas. These results suggest that delay period activity in the PFC might be better understood not as a signature of memory storage per se, but as a top down signal that influences posterior sensory areas where the actual working memory representations are maintained.

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  • Numerous studies have demonstrated the importance of the prefrontal cortex for working memory.

    “Numerous studies, using a wide range of techniques, have demonstrated the importance of the prefrontal cortex for working memory (reviewed in [62]).”

    From Linking ADHD to the Neural Circuitry of Attention (2017) · cites this paper as [62]

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Goldman-Rakic P. (1987). “ Circuitry of the prefrontal cortex and the regulation of behavior by representational memory,” in Handbook of Physiology, Section 1. The Nervous System, (Vol. 5) eds Plum F. Mountcastle V. (Bethesda, MD: Wiley), 373– 417.

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Authors
Lara, A. H., & Wallis, J. D.
Affiliations
Columbia University (US)
Corresponding author
Lara, Antonio H.
Venue
Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience
Published
2015-12-18
Volume
9
Pages
173-173
ISSN
1662-5137 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2202916324
Cited by
402
References
81
Citations by year
2026: 20 · 2025: 50 · 2024: 42 · 2023: 58 · 2022: 35 · 2021: 46 · 2020: 42 · 2019: 34 · 2018: 32 · 2017: 31 · 2016: 12
FWCI
2.46
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R01-MH097990)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01-DA19028)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural dynamics and brain function
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
Keywords
prefrontal cortex, working memory, persistent activity, delay-period activity, single-unit recording, stimulus encoding, top-down control, memory storage, nonhuman primate model

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