DOI: 10.1162/jocn.1995.7.3.337. Spatial versus Object Working Memory: PET Investigations

Spatial versus Object Working Memory: PET Investigations

10.1162/jocn.1995.7.3.337

Crossref journal-article

MIT Press - Journals

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience (281)

Abstract

Abstract We used positron emission tomography (PET) to answer the following question: Is working memory a unitary storage system, or does it instead include different storage buffers for different kinds of information? In Experiment 1, PET measures were taken while subjects engaged in either a spatial-memory task (retain the position of three dots for 3 sec) or an object-memory task (retain the identity of two objects for 3 sec). The results manifested a striking double dissociation, as the spatial task activated only right-hemisphere regions, whereas the object task activated primarily left-hemisphere regions. The spatial (right-hemisphere) regions included occipital, parietal, and prefrontal areas, while the object (left-hemisphere) regions included inferotemporal and parietal areas. Experiment 2 was similar to Experiment 1 except that the stimuli and trial events were identical for the spatial and object tasks; whether spatial or object memory was required was manipulated by instructions. The PET results once more showed a double dissociation, as the spatial task activated primarily right-hemisphere regions (again including occipital, parietal and prefrontal areas), whereas the object task activated only left-hemisphere regions (again including inferotemporal and parietal areas). Experiment 3 was a strictly behavioral study, which produced another double dissociation. It used the same tasks as Experiment 2, and showed that a variation in spatial similarity affected performance in the spatial but not the object task, whereas a variation in shape similarity affected performance in the object but not the spatial task. Taken together, the results of the three experiments clearly imply that different working-memory buffers are used for storing spatial and object information.

Bibliography

Smith, E. E., Jonides, J., Koeppe, R. A., Awh, E., Schumacher, E. H., & Minoshima, S. (1995). Spatial versus Object Working Memory: PET Investigations. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 7(3), 337â356.

Authors 6

Edward E. Smith (first)
John Jonides (additional)
Robert A. Koeppe (additional)
Edward Awh (additional)
Eric H. Schumacher (additional)
Satoshi Minoshima (additional)

References 13 Referenced 386

10.1016/0028-3932(89)90054-7
10.1037/h0044049
10.1080/02643299108253364
{'key': 'p_13', 'first-page': '373', 'author': 'Goldman-Rakic S.', 'year': '1987', 'journal-title': 'Bethesda, MD: American Physiological Society.'} / Bethesda, MD: American Physiological Society. by Goldman-Rakic S. (1987)
10.1037/0033-295X.99.1.122
{'key': 'p_22', 'first-page': '229', 'volume': '38', 'year': '1986', 'journal-title': 'Quarterlv Journal of Experimentul Psycholoa'} / Quarterlv Journal of Experimentul Psycholoa (1986)
{'key': 'p_25', 'first-page': '322', 'volume': '34', 'author': 'Minoshima S.', 'year': '1993', 'journal-title': 'The Journal of Nzrcleur Medicine'} / The Journal of Nzrcleur Medicine by Minoshima S. (1993)
{'key': 'p_28', 'first-page': '873', 'volume': '90', 'author': 'Petrides M.', 'year': '1993', 'journal-title': 'Neurobiolou'} / Neurobiolou by Petrides M. (1993)
10.1126/science.3289116
10.1037/0033-295X.88.1.16
10.1016/0001-6918(69)90055-9
{'key': 'p_38', 'first-page': '475', 'volume': '8', 'author': 'Warrington E. K.', 'year': '1970', 'journal-title': 'NeurfJpchokgiu'} / NeurfJpchokgiu by Warrington E. K. (1970)
10.1126/science.8316836

Dates

Type	When
Created	17 years, 6 months ago (Feb. 29, 2008, 1:27 p.m.)
Deposited	4 years, 1 month ago (July 27, 2021, 11:31 a.m.)
Indexed	3 days, 2 hours ago (Sept. 3, 2025, 6:10 a.m.)
Issued	30 years, 8 months ago (Jan. 1, 1995)
Published	30 years, 8 months ago (Jan. 1, 1995)
Published Online	30 years, 2 months ago (July 1, 1995)
Published Print	30 years, 2 months ago (July 1, 1995)

Funders 0

None

BibTeX

@article{Smith_1995, title={Spatial versus Object Working Memory: PET Investigations}, volume={7}, ISSN={1530-8898}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/jocn.1995.7.3.337}, DOI={10.1162/jocn.1995.7.3.337}, number={3}, journal={Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience}, publisher={MIT Press - Journals}, author={Smith, Edward E. and Jonides, John and Koeppe, Robert A. and Awh, Edward and Schumacher, Eric H. and Minoshima, Satoshi}, year={1995}, pages={337–356} }

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