Selective interference reveals dissociation between memory for location and colour

THE aim was to study whether there is indication of a dissociation. in processing of visuospatial and colour information in working memory in humans. Experimental subjects performed visuospatial and colour n-back tasks with and without visuospatial and colour distractive stimuli presented in the middle of the delay period to specifically affect mnemonic processing of task-related information. In the high memory-load condition, the visuospatial, but not the colour, task was selectively disrupted by visuospatial but not colour distracters. When subvocal rehearsal of the memoranda in the colour task was prevented by articulatory suppression; colour task performance was also selectively disrupted by distracters qualitatively similar to the memoranda. The results support the suggestion that visual working memory for location is processed separate from that for colour. NeuroReport 10:2235-2240 (C) 1999 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.