Korean Journal of Radiology

The Korean Society of Radiology (대한영상의학회)
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Functional MR Imaging of Working Memory in the Human Brain

  • Dong Gyu Na (Department of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine) ;
  • Jae Wook Ryu (Department of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine) ;
  • Hong Sik Byun (Department of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine) ;
  • Dae Seob Choi (Department of Radiology, Kyongju Hospital, Dongguk University, College of Medicine) ;
  • Eun Jeong Lee (Department of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine) ;
  • Woo In Chung (Department of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine) ;
  • Jae Min Cho (Department of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine) ;
  • Boo Kyung Han (Department of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine)
  • Received : 1999.10.19
  • Accepted : 2000.02.09
  • Published : 2000.03.31
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Abstract

Objective: In order to investigate the functional brain anatomy associated with verbal and visual working memory, functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed. Materials and Methods: In ten normal right handed subjects, functional MR images were obtained using a 1.5-T MR scanner and the EPI BOLD technique. An item recognition task was used for stimulation, and during the activation period of the verbal working memory task, consonant letters were used. During the activation period of the visual working memory task, symbols or diagrams were employed instead of letters. For the post-processing of images, the SPM program was used, with the threshold of significance set at p < .001. We assessed activated brain areas during the two stimulation tasks and compared the activated regions between the two tasks. Results: The prefrontal cortex and secondary visual cortex were activated bilaterally by both verbal and visual working memory tasks, and the patterns of activated signals were similar in both tasks. The superior parietal cortex was also activated by both tasks, with lateralization to the left in the verbal task, and bilaterally without lateralization in the visual task. The inferior frontal cortex, inferior parietal cortex and temporal gyrus were activated exclusively by the verbal working memory task, predominantly in the left hemisphere. Conclusion: The prefrontal cortex is activated by two stimulation tasks, and this is related to the function of the central executive. The language areas activated by the verbal working memory task may be a function of the phonological loop. Bilateral prefrontal and superior parietal cortices activated by the visual working memory task may be related to the visual maintenance of objects, representing visual working memory.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This study was supported by a grant (HMP-98-N-1-0023) of the Good Health R&D Project, Ministry of Health & Welfare, ROK.

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