Ku Yixuan
Faculty of Education, East China Normal Unviersity, Shanghai, China.
The Key Lab of Brain Functional Genomics, MOE & STCSM, Shanghai Changning-ECNU Mental Health Center, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
PeerJ. 2018 Apr 2;6:e4585. doi: 10.7717/peerj.4585. eCollection 2018.
Selective attention and working memory are inter-dependent core cognitive functions. It is critical to allocate attention on selected targets during the capacity-limited working memory processes to fulfill the goal-directed behavior. The trends of research on both topics are increasing exponentially in recent years, and it is considered that selective attention and working memory share similar underlying neural mechanisms. Different types of attention orientation in working memory are introduced by distinctive cues, and the means using retrospective cues are strengthened currently as it is manipulating the representation in memory, instead of the perceptual representation. The cognitive and neural mechanisms of the retro-cue effects are further reviewed, as well as the potential molecular mechanism. The frontal-parietal network that is involved in both attention and working memory is also the neural candidate for attention orientation during working memory. Neural oscillations in the gamma and alpha/beta oscillations may respectively be employed for the feedforward and feedback information transfer between the sensory cortices and the association cortices. Dopamine and serotonin systems might interact with each other subserving the communication between memory and attention. In conclusion, representations which attention shifts towards are strengthened, while representations which attention moves away from are degraded. Studies on attention orientation during working memory indicates the flexibility of the processes of working memory, and the beneficial way that overcome the limited capacity of working memory.
选择性注意和工作记忆是相互依存的核心认知功能。在容量有限的工作记忆过程中，将注意力分配到选定的目标上对于实现目标导向行为至关重要。近年来，关于这两个主题的研究趋势呈指数级增长，并且人们认为选择性注意和工作记忆具有相似的潜在神经机制。工作记忆中不同类型的注意定向由独特的线索引入，目前使用回溯线索的方式得到了加强，因为它操纵的是记忆中的表征，而非感知表征。本文进一步综述了回溯线索效应的认知和神经机制，以及潜在的分子机制。参与注意和工作记忆的额顶网络也是工作记忆期间注意定向的神经候选区域。γ振荡和α/β振荡中的神经振荡可能分别用于感觉皮层和联合皮层之间的前馈和反馈信息传递。多巴胺和5-羟色胺系统可能相互作用，共同支持记忆与注意之间的交流。总之，注意力转向的表征会得到加强，而注意力远离的表征会被削弱。对工作记忆期间注意定向的研究表明了工作记忆过程的灵活性，以及克服工作记忆容量限制的有益方式。
