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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2025.06.18.660380

Visual Working Memory Guides Attention Rhythmically

Lu, J.·Cai, Y.·Zhang, X.
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Abstract

How does internal representation held in visual working memory (VWM), known as the attentional template, guide attention? A longstanding debate concerns whether only one (Single-Item-Template theory) or multiple (Multiple-Item-Template theory) items serve as attentional templates simultaneously. Here we propose a Rhythmic-Item-Template hypothesis, successfully reconciling these seemingly contradictory theories. Using the classical VWM-guided attention task, we found that two VWM items alternately dominate behavioral guidance in theta-rhythmic (4-8 Hz), with anti-correlated activation states in time, and more importantly, this rhythmic oscillation was not driven by the retro-cue processing. Neural recordings revealed that occipital alpha-oscillation (8-14 Hz) governed item-specific prioritization and its amplitude closely tracked subjects behavioral guidance, while frontal theta-oscillations phase-led and coupled with occipital alpha-oscillations during the item transition. Our Rhythmic-Item-Template results not only resolve previous Single-Item-Template versus Multiple-Item-Template debate but also advance our understanding of how distributed brain rhythms coordinate flexible resource allocation in multi-item memory systems.

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Lu, J., Cai, Y., Zhang, X.. 2025-06-21. Visual Working Memory Guides Attention Rhythmically. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.06.18.660380

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