Tkachenko S. S., Rodynskyi O. H., Artiukhova Z. A.

NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL BASIS OF WORKING MEMORY: NEURAL OSCILLATIONS AND SYNAPTIC PLASTICITY

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Tkachenko S. S., Rodynskyi O. H., Artiukhova Z. A.

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LITERATURE REVIEWS

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Scientific article

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The relevance of this review article lies in the fact that the knowledge about the disorders of coordination of oscillatory activity and synaptic plasticity observed in various neuropsychiatric conditions with working memory deficits opens up new prospects for the development of targeted therapeutic approaches. The aim was to analyze the relevant science sources and studies from the up-to-date databases that investigate the neurophysiological mechanisms of working memory functioning, in particular the role of neural oscillations of different frequencies (theta, alpha, gamma, beta), synaptic plasticity and their interaction in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and parietal cortex. It has been established that working memory functions through the interaction of neural oscillations and synaptic plasticity in distributed brain networks. Theta oscillations (4-8 Hz) provide synchronization between the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex during information encoding. Alpha oscillations (8-12 Hz) act as inhibitory filters, blocking irrelevant information. Gamma rhythms (30-100 Hz) ensure precision of neural activity and binding of different memory elements. Cross-frequency interactions, especially theta-gamma coupling, have been found to directly affect working memory capacity. At the cellular level, working memory depends on short-term synaptic plasticity, including NMDA-dependent synaptic enhancement, rapid dendritic spine formation, and neuromodulation through dopamine, acetylcholine, and noradrenaline. A bidirectional relationship between oscillations and plasticity has been identified: oscillatory patterns create optimal conditions for synaptic modifications, while changes in synaptic strength influ- ence the oscillatory properties of neural networks. Working memory training leads to parallel changes in theta-gamma coupling and structural network connectivity, indicating synchronized development of oscillatory and synaptic properties. Working memory is based on a complex interaction between neural oscillations and synaptic plasticity mechanisms, which together provide temporary storage and processing of information.

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Publication of the article:

«Bulletin of problems biology and medicine», 2025 Issue 4, 179, 72-79 pages, index UDC 612.83:612.662.9:618.173-073.7/-076-085:615.2.1-092.9

DOI:

10.29254/2077-4214-2025-4-179-72-79