EEG-Monitored Electrical Activity to Track Stored Information With High Temporal Precision

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Date

2014-06

Authors

Breuner, Richard McKay

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

University of Oregon

Abstract

Because working memory is correlated with measures of fluid intelligence and is relevant on a daily basis, it is important to investigate its properties. By monitoring neural activity with electroencelography (EEG), we are able to generate channel tuning functions from the electrical waves oscillating in the alpha band frequency (7.5-12.5 Hz). This study seeks to validate the temporal precision allowed with EEG by exploring the sensory systems responsible for governing visual working memory, specifically the manner in which populations of sensory neurons work together to create cognitive representations of relevant features of the outside world. Focusing on the neural activity responding to oriented lines, we found that while visual stimuli invoked equivalent responses for both the relevant and irrelevant orientations when two lines occupied the visual field, an amplitude increase in the tuning functions associated with the relevant feature coincided with an amplitude decrease in tuning functions associated with the irrelevant feature when the subject was asked to hold the orientation in memory. These findings validate the influential role of selective attention on populations of orientation-selective neurons.

Description

28 pages. A thesis presented to the Department of Biology and the Clark Honors College of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for degree of Bachelor of Science, Spring 2014.

Keywords

Biology, EEG, Cognitive, Temporal Precision, Neurological, Stored Information, Tuning Function

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