Short-term memory is based on synchronized brain activity oscillations

Short-term memory is a complex cognitive act that requires participation of multiple brain regions. However, how different brain regions cooperate during memory has remained elusive. But now, researchers have discovered that oscillations between different brain regions are crucial in visually remembering things. It has long been known that the frontal lobe of the brain is involved in short-term memory, while processing of visual information occurs primarily at the back of the brain. To better understand how these regions coordinate, scientists recorded electrical activity both in a visual area and frontal part monkey’s brains. They observed that, in each of the two brain regions, brain activity showed strong oscillations in a certain set of frequencies called the theta-band. These oscillations did not occur independently of each other, but synchronized their activity temporarily. The more synchronized the activity was, the better could the animals remember an initial image.