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