Dataset for: Working memory alpha-beta band oscillatory signatures in adolescents and young adults

The timing of neural activity is an intriguing way of exposing behaviourally-relevant neural activity, as neural populations exploit transient windows of synchronized activations to exchange dynamic communications in the service of various cognitive operations. The link between neural synchrony and working memory (WM) has been supported at the theoretical and empirical level. However, findings have also shown that WM encoding is also related to significant alpha-beta desynchronization. These findings have been primarily recorded during subsequent memory effect paradigms that compare correct with incorrect encoding trials. The dissociable contribution imparted by various processes to WM performance suggests that incorrect performance may not be directly translatable to unsuccessful encoding. Here, we address the relationship between alpha-beta desynchronization and encoding through the use of an alternative paradigm design by contrasting frontal and parietal human scalp EEG activity during the encoding interval of a delayed-matching to sample task with that recorded during a control task. The additional use of nonverbal/semantic visual stimulation and recruitment of typically developing adolescent subjects, has led us to the conclusion that encoding-relevant alpha-beta decrements can be replicated via a nonverbal/semantic delayed matching to sample task and these are also evident in typically developing adolescents, in addition to adults, as has been previously demonstrated. The identification of encoding-related alpha-beta decrements in adolescent subjects performing such WM tasks may open new avenues to explore whether such a rhythmic signature may explain WM and electrophysiological deficits that emerge in various adolescent neuropsychiatric disorders such as ADHD.

神经活动的时序是揭示行为相关神经活动的颇具研究价值的途径，因为神经元集群会利用同步激活的短暂窗口开展动态信息交流，以支撑各类认知操作。神经同步与工作记忆（Working Memory, WM）之间的关联已在理论与实证层面得到验证。然而，已有研究表明工作记忆编码还与显著的α-β频段脑电去同步化存在关联。此类发现主要源自后续记忆效应范式的实验记录，该范式通过对比正确编码与错误编码试次开展研究。不同认知过程对工作记忆任务表现的分离性贡献提示，错误的任务表现未必能直接等价于编码失败。本研究采用替代性范式设计，通过对比延迟匹配样本任务编码阶段的人类前额叶与顶叶头皮脑电图（Electroencephalogram, EEG）活动，与对照任务中记录的脑电活动，探讨α-β频段去同步化与编码过程之间的关联。本研究额外采用了非言语/语义视觉刺激，并招募了典型发育青少年被试，最终得出结论：编码相关的α-β频段活动减弱可通过非言语/语义延迟匹配样本任务复现，且正如既往研究证实的那样，该现象不仅在成年人中存在，在典型发育青少年中同样可见。在执行此类工作记忆任务的青少年被试中识别出编码相关的α-β频段活动减弱，或可为探索该节律特征能否解释各类青少年神经精神障碍（如注意缺陷多动障碍（Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD））中出现的工作记忆与脑电生理缺陷提供全新的研究方向。