Genuine beta bursts in human working memory: controlling for the influence of lower-frequency rhythms

Human working memory is associated with significant modulations in oscillatory brain activity. However, the functional role of brain rhythms at different frequencies is still debated. Modulations in the beta frequency range (15–40 Hz) are especially difficult to interpret because they could be artifactually produced by (more prominent) oscillations in lower frequencies that show non-sinusoidal properties. In this study, we investigate beta oscillations during working memory while controlling for the possible influence of lower frequency rhythms. We collected electroencephalography (EEG) data in 31 participants who performed a spatial working-memory task with two levels of cognitive load. In order to rule out the possibility that observed beta activity was affected by non-sinusoidalities of lower frequency rhythms, we developed an algorithm that detects transient beta oscillations that do not coincide with more prominent lower frequency rhythms in time and space. Using this algorithm, we show that the amplitude and duration of beta bursts decrease with memory load and during memory manipulation, while their peak frequency and rate increase. In addition, interindividual differences in performance were significantly associated with beta burst rates. Together, our results show that beta rhythms are functionally modulated during working memory and that these changes cannot be attributed to lower frequency rhythms with non-sinusoidal properties.