Impact of working memory capacity on predominance of parietal over frontal P300 amplitude

Abstract

Working memory-related neural activity varies with task load, and these neural variations can be constrained by working memory capacity (WMC). For instance, some studies suggest that parietal and frontal P300 amplitudes, reflecting working memory functioning, vary differentially with task load and WMC. The present study explored whether the predominance of parietal over frontal P300 amplitude is related to WMC, and whether this relationship varies according to task load. Thirty-one adults aged 20–40 years performed a Sternberg task with two set sizes (2 vs. 6 items), during which event-related potentials were recorded. This allowed us to explore the P300 and estimate the magnitude of its parietal over frontal predominance, calculated as a parietal over frontal predominance index (PFPI). Participants also performed the Digit Span and alpha span tests, which were used to compute an independent index of WMC. Results revealed the classic parietal over frontal P300 predominance. They also indicated that the PFPI decreased as task load increased, owing mainly to an increase in frontal P300 amplitude. Interestingly, WMC was positively correlated with the PFPI, suggesting that individuals with greater WMC exhibited greater parietal over frontal predominance. These correlations did not vary across set sizes. Parietal over frontal predominance was reduced in individuals with lower WMC, who relied more on frontal neural resources. This frontal upregulation may have reflected the recruitment of supplementary attentional executive operations to compensate for less efficient working memory maintenance operations.