Task demand modulates somatosensory-frontoparietal networks during delay and retrieval periods in tactile working memory.

ABSTRACT: The primary somatosensory cortex (SI) is traditionally regarded as a sensory encoding region, yet growing evidence implicates it may also work in the maintenance and manipulation of tactile working memory (TWM), and interact with frontoparietal (FP) pathway under varying task demands. Here, we use high-field fMRI and a custom pneumatic tactile stimulation device to examine neural dynamics across distinct WM phases during a retro-cue task. We manipulate task demand during the delay phase (complex/simple retro-cues) and the retrieval phase (recall/non-recall) while isolating encoding, delay, and retrieval phases. Functional connectivity results reveal increased functional coupling between SI and FP regions as task demand increases. Moreover, effective connectivity results show the high-deman

SUBMITTER: Sun D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12932658 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature