This review examines the neural mechanisms underlying working memory (WM) representations — from single-neuron persistent activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) to circuit-level dynamics — including oscillations, activity-silent synaptic processes, and temporally structured neural sequences.
WM representations are not solely supported by persistent neuronal firing; they emerge from multiple mechanisms (persistent activity, oscillations, synaptic tagging, neural sequences) across prefrontal, association, and sensory cortices, organized into low-dimensional neural manifolds whose geometry may define the content of conscious access.
As a review/theoretical synthesis, it does not present new empirical data; conclusions rest on interpretation of existing studies that vary widely in species, task design, and recording methods, limiting direct clinical translation.
Clinicians working with conditions involving WM deficits (e.g., schizophrenia, ADHD) should recognize that WM is supported by multiple, context-dependent neural mechanisms — not just prefrontal persistent activity — which broadens the potential targets for intervention beyond the dlPFC alone.
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