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Modelling Working Memory Through Attentional Mechanisms

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Artificial Neural Networks – ICANN 2006 (ICANN 2006)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNTCS,volume 4131))

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Abstract

Recent studies of working memory have shown that the network of brain areas that supports working memory function overlaps heavily with the well studied network of selective attention. It has thus been suggested that working memory may operate by means of a repeated focusing of attention on the internal representations of the items that need to be maintained. We have employed our CODAM model of attention to simulate a specific working memory paradigm based on precisely this concept of ‘refreshing’ internal representations using attention. We propose here that the well known capacity limit of working memory can be attributed to the ‘scarceness’ of attentional resources. The specific mechanism of CODAM for modelling such scarceness is used in the paradigm to explain the behavioural and brain imaging data. This and related paradigms allow us to extend the specification of CODAM sites and functions to more detailed executive functions under executive control.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mathematics, King’s College London, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS, United Kingdom

    John Taylor, Nickolaos Fragopanagos & Nienke Korsten

Authors
  1. John Taylor
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  2. Nickolaos Fragopanagos
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  3. Nienke Korsten
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Image, Video and Multimedia Systems Laboratory, National Technical University of Athens, GR-157 80, Zographou, Greece

    Stefanos D. Kollias

  2. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780, Zographou, Greece

    Andreas Stafylopatis

  3. Department of Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland

    Włodzisław Duch

  4. Adaptive Informatics Research Centre, Helsinki University of Technology, HUT, P.O. Box 5400, 02015, Finland

    Erkki Oja

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© 2006 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Taylor, J., Fragopanagos, N., Korsten, N. (2006). Modelling Working Memory Through Attentional Mechanisms. In: Kollias, S.D., Stafylopatis, A., Duch, W., Oja, E. (eds) Artificial Neural Networks – ICANN 2006. ICANN 2006. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 4131. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/11840817_58

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/11840817_58

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-38625-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-38627-8

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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