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  • RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

A child’s memory prowess is revealed by brain patterns

High activity in certain brain regions reveals which children have the most robust working memory.
Two coloured images of a brain on a black background.

Warm colours such as yellow indicate brain regions that are especially active in children with strong working memories. The diagram is a group average of images from many children. Credit: Richard Watts and Monica Rosenberg

Working memory has been called the brain’s sticky note: a format for short-term storage and recall of information, such as a phone number or directions to a shop. Now, researchers have found that activity in a specific region of a child’s brain predicts the strength of their working memory.

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Nature 582, 11 (2020)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-01575-3

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