Lectures and seminars "Working memory 2.0" - a lecture with Earl K. Miller
Welcome to a lecture with Earl K. Miller, at The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, on Tuesday 21 September 2021 at 16:00. The lecture will be held online via Zoom.
Title
"Working memory 2.0"
Presenter
Earl K. Miller, The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
Abstract
Working memory is the sketchpad of consciousness, the fundamental mechanism the brain uses to gain volitional control over its thoughts and actions. For the past 50 years, working memory has been thought to rely on cortical neurons that fire continuous impulses that keep thoughts “online”. However, new work from our lab has revealed more complex dynamics. The impulses fire sparsely and interact with brain rhythms of different frequencies. Higher frequency gamma (> 35 Hz) rhythms help carry the contents of working memory while lower frequency alpha/beta (~8-30 Hz) rhythms act as control signals that gate access to and clear out working memory. In other words, a rhythmic dance between brain rhythms may underlie your ability to control your own thoughts.
Hosts
Henrik Ehrsson & Konstantina Kilteni, Department of Neuroscience
Via Zoom
Join the meeting via Zoom