Title: A Dynamic Processing Model of Working Memory: Evidence from Behavior, Neuroimaging, and Neurostimulation

Abstract: Recent shifts in the understanding of how the mind and brain retain information in working memory (WM) call for revision to canonical theory. Evidence for the existence of dynamic, “activity-silent” short-term retention processes in the brain diverge from traditional models that have argued that items in WM are retained by sustained representation in buffers or activated states. Such evidence comes from the use of machine-learning analytic approaches to decode patterns of brain activity and the simultaneous administration of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to causally manipulate brain activity in specific areas and time-points. TMS has been used to 'ping' brain areas and reactivate latent representations retained in WM and affect memory performance, but only when the information is still relevant for the current trial. These findings argue for a supplement to the sustained retention mechanisms associated with attending to information in WM. Brain decoding methods reveal dynamic, hierarchical levels of representation in WM that vary according to task context, from perceptual/sensory codes in posterior areas to more conceptual/abstract codes distributed across frontal-parietal regions. A Dynamic Processing Model of WM is advanced to account for the overall pattern of results.