Figure 4.

Alpha power and working memory performance. (A) Expectation of a strong versus weak distractor led to an increase in power in the alpha band (8–12 Hz). (B) This was associated with increased reaction times, with a significant correlation between changes in alpha power and reaction time according to distractor presence. Thus, individuals who increased their alpha power the most in anticipation of the distractor were also those who showed the least impairment.76 (C) A related study reported an increase in alpha power lateralized before a distractor appearance and correlating with WM performance for the preceding item. Alpha was higher in contralateral areas, which is generally taken to imply inhibition of the relevant area of cortex.77