Working memory processing boosts the neural representation of long-term memories

Understanding the interaction between short-term and long-term memory systems is essential for advancing our knowledge of human memory. This study investigates whether working memory processes, specifically attentional prioritization (Experiments 1 and 2) and testing (Experiment 2), can enhance the neural activity associated with recently encoded long- term memories. A total of 86 participants completed a novel three-phase memory task that integrated a traditional long-term memory learning task with a working memory paradigm. In the first phase, participants encoded object-location associations. During the second phase, these associations were reintroduced in a working memory task that manipulated attentional prioritization; participants were required to report the location of the cued object. In the final phase, participants recalled the locations associated with each object. By analyzing both behavioral performance and electroencephalogram (EEG) data collected during this retrieval phase, we found that attentional prioritization in working memory significantly improved long- term memory retrieval, a finding supported by corresponding neural evidence. Additionally, Experiment 2 demonstrated that both prioritization and testing in working memory jointly enhance the neural representation of long-term memories. These findings indicate that working memory processes can dynamically alter the neural patterns underlying long-term memory representations, revealing a more integrated role for working memory in long-term memory consolidation.