A recent study by cognitive neuroscientists Jiangang Shan and Bradley Postle at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has revealed a new mechanism by which the brain actively clears unwanted information, which could lead to new treatments for mental health disorders.
This research sheds light on how our brains manage and discard irrelevant information from working memory, which is essential for problem-solving and decision-making. The study aimed to identify the neural processes involved in the active deletion of information to maintain cognitive efficiency.
Participants were asked to memorize colored bars, then instructed to discard one while retaining the other. Brain activity was recorded using electroencephalogram (EEG) sensors. The EEG data showed a wave traveling down the cortex, originating from executive regions and targeting visual areas.
This wave, appearing about 160 milliseconds after the 'forget' cue, was stronger than when participants simply ignored an item, indicating active deletion. Furthermore, stronger waves predicted better recall of the remaining item, suggesting that active removal enhances memory performance.
This discovery has significant implications for mental health. The ability to actively delete information may help mitigate intrusive thoughts in conditions like depression and PTSD. Understanding this mechanism could lead to new therapies. For example, enhancing the brain's active removal process might help individuals break cycles of negative thinking.
Researchers plan to investigate whether techniques like transcranial magnetic stimulation can accelerate forgetting and improve recall. This research enhances our understanding of cognitive control and opens new avenues for treating memory-related mental health issues.