Updating visual–spatial working memory during object movement

Working memory enables temporary maintenance and manipulation of information for immediate access by cognitive processes. The present study investigates how spatial information stored in working memory is updated during object movement. Participants had to remember a particular location on an object which, after a retention interval, started to move. The question was whether the memorized location was updated with the movement of the object or whether after object movement it remained represented in retinotopic coordinates. We used saccade trajectories to examine how memorized locations were represented. The results showed that immediately after the object stopped moving, there was both a retinotopic and an object-centered representation. However, 200ms later, the activity at the retinotopic location decayed, making the memory representation fully object-centered. Our results suggest that memorized locations are updated from retinotopic to object-centered coordinates during, or shortly after object movement.