The effects of the post-delay epochs on working memory error reduction.

Accurate retrieval of the maintained information is crucial for working memory. This process primarily occurs during post-delay epochs, when subjects receive cues and generate responses. However, the computational and neural mechanisms that underlie these post-delay epochs to support robust memory r...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Zeyuan Ye, Haoran Li, Liang Tian, Changsong Zhou
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-05-01
Series:PLoS Computational Biology
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1013083
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Accurate retrieval of the maintained information is crucial for working memory. This process primarily occurs during post-delay epochs, when subjects receive cues and generate responses. However, the computational and neural mechanisms that underlie these post-delay epochs to support robust memory remain poorly understood. To address this, we trained recurrent neural networks (RNNs) on a color delayed-response task, where certain colors (referred to as common colors) were more frequently presented for memorization. We found that the trained RNNs reduced memory errors for common colors by decoding a broader range of neural states into these colors through the post-delay epochs. This decoding process was driven by convergent neural dynamics and a non-dynamic, biased readout process during the post-delay epochs. Our findings highlight the importance of post-delay epochs in working memory and suggest that neural systems adapt to environmental statistics by using multiple mechanisms across task epochs.
ISSN:1553-734X
1553-7358