Mechanisms behind limitations and flexibility in working memory – Brain imaging experiment | Bli försöksperson och hjälp vetenskapen | Accindi.se

Område: Stockholm

Mechanisms behind limitations and flexibility in working memory – Brain imaging experiment

Av Annika Andersson Skapad: 2026-11-10

Working memory plays a key role in most cognitive functions. It is crucial for everyday tasks such as understanding instructions, making decisions, reading, and solving problems. In addition, working memory impairments occur in many psychiatric disorders and learning difficulties. The aim of the project is to better understand the brain mechanisms underlying working memory. We will do this using a series of experiments. In these experiments, we ask participants to perform simple working memory tasks while we measure their responses and brain activity in an MR scanner.

If you agree to participate in this project, you will be invited to Stockholm University Brain Imaging Center, Svante Arrhenius väg 16 A, to take part in the experiment. You will complete a task that requires you to use working memory, i.e., to keep information in mind for a few seconds. The task requires you to remember information about visual objects presented on a computer screen. After, you will be asked to report what you remember, and you will be doing this by using a button box. The task will be explained to you in detail before you are asked to do it.

You will perform the task while lying in a brain-imaging scanner (Magnetic Resonance Imaging; MRI). You will participate in at least 6 scanning sessions, each lasting about 1 to 1,5 hours. During the experiment we will measure your eye movements and pupil size using a camera. We will also measure your brain structure and brain activity using MRI.

We are recruiting healthy adults between 20 and 50 years of age, as cognitive illness and medication can affect the results. People with contraindications for MRI examinations may not participate in the study. We will therefore ask a number of health-related questions. These data are not saved and are not analyzed, but they are a prerequisite for participating in the study.

Thank you for participating!

Working memory plays a key role in most cognitive functions. It is crucial for everyday tasks such as understanding instructions, making decisions, reading, and solving problems. In addition, working memory impairments occur in many psychiatric disorders and learning difficulties. The aim of the project is to better understand the brain mechanisms underlying working memory. We will do this using a series of experiments. In these experiments, we ask participants to perform simple working memory tasks while we measure their responses and brain activity in an MR scanner.

If you agree to participate in this project, you will be invited to Stockholm University Brain Imaging Center, Svante Arrhenius väg 16 A, to take part in the experiment. You will complete a task that requires you to use working memory, i.e., to keep information in mind for a few seconds. The task requires you to remember information about visual objects presented on a computer screen. After, you will be asked to report what you remember, and you will be doing this by using a button box. The task will be explained to you in detail before you are asked to do it.

You will perform the task while lying in a brain-imaging scanner (Magnetic Resonance Imaging; MRI). You will participate in at least 6 scanning sessions, each lasting about 1 to 1,5 hours. During the experiment we will measure your eye movements and pupil size using a camera. We will also measure your brain structure and brain activity using MRI.

We are recruiting healthy adults between 20 and 50 years of age, as cognitive illness and medication can affect the results. People with contraindications for MRI examinations may not participate in the study. We will therefore ask a number of health-related questions. These data are not saved and are not analyzed, but they are a prerequisite for participating in the study.

Thank you for participating!