Redundant prefrontal hemispheres adapt storage strategy to working memory demands

Abstract

The prefrontal hemispheres must coordinate dynamically to maintain a unified representation of visual space. Recently, two opposing theories using distinct storage strategies have been proposed: A high-capacity specialized architecture, where each hemisphere governs contralateral behavior, and a fail-safe redundant one, where both hemispheres jointly guide behavior across the visual space. Here, we analyzed simultaneous bilateral prefrontal cortex recordings from three macaque monkeys performing a visuo-spatial working memory task. Both hemispheres equally predicted behavioral imprecision, decoding errors were weakly correlated between hemispheres, and serial dependence remained local within hemispheres, suggesting a redundant, weakly coupled organization. Attractor network simulations showed that redundancy improved precision when task demands were below memory capacity, while weak interhemispheric coupling increased capacity in more demanding tasks by allowing hemispheric specialization. These predicted patterns were validated in human and monkey data, reconciling previous findings and revealing a versatile interhemispheric architecture that adapts to varying cognitive demands.