Study of behavioural and neural bases of visuo-spatial working memory with an FMRI paradigm based on an n-back task

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2017

Authors

A. R. Dores (Author) Other; Fernando Barbosa (Author) FPCEUP; IP Carvalho (Author) FMUP; I. Almeida (Author) Other; S. Guerreiro (Author) Other; B. M. da Rocha (Author) Other; Liliana de Sousa (Author) ICBAS; A. Castro Caldas (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Journal of Neuropsychology

Vol. 11 No. 1

Pages: 122-134

ISSN: 1748-6645

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 10 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 10 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Social sciences > Psychology

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00J-Z3F

DOI: 10.1111/jnp.12076

Abstract (EN): The goal of this study was to propose a new functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) paradigm using a language-free adaptation of a 2-back working memory task to avoid cultural and educational bias. We additionally provide an index of the validity of the proposed paradigm and test whether the experimental task discriminates the behavioural performances of healthy participants from those of individuals with working memory deficits. Ten healthy participants and nine patients presenting working memory (WM) deficits due to acquired brain injury (ABI) performed the developed task. To inspect whether the paradigm activates brain areas typically involved in visual working memory (VWM), brain activation of the healthy participants was assessed with fMRIs. To examine the task's capacity to discriminate behavioural data, performances of the healthy participants in the task were compared with those of ABI patients. Data were analysed with GLM-based random effects procedures and t-tests. We found an increase of the BOLD signal in the specialized areas of VWM. Concerning behavioural performances, healthy participants showed the predicted pattern of more hits, less omissions and a tendency for fewer false alarms, more self-corrected responses, and faster reaction times, when compared with subjects presenting WM impairments. The results suggest that this task activates brain areas involved in VWM and discriminates behavioural performances of clinical and non-clinical groups. It can thus be used as a research methodology for behavioural and neuroimaging studies of VWM in block-design paradigms. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific