🧠✨ Publication Alert: Emotional Faces and Working Memory in Dual-Task Contexts

We are happy to announce our new publication in Human Brain Mapping:

Title: Neurophysiological Basis of Emotional Face Perception and Working Memory Load in a Dual-Task MEG Study
Authors: Katharina Lingelbach & Jochem W. Rieger
📄 Read the paper

In a combined MEG and eye-tracking study (N = 47), we investigated how emotional face processing interacts with visuo-spatial working memory load in a dual-task design. Source-level analyses of ERFs and oscillations revealed:

• Main effects: Enhanced ERFs for negative expressions across insula, ACC, and occipital areas; reduced alpha/beta power under high WM load.
• Gaze and pupil data: Indications of emotion-specific interference and reduced emotion-related processing under increased WM demand.
• Conclusion: Emotion and cognitive load engage distinct yet interacting neural mechanisms, shaping perception and attentional resource allocation in multitasking.

This study advances our understanding of how emotional salience and cognitive demand jointly shape brain function in complex scenarios. It was a lot of work, a tough review — and best of all, it was worth it…