Hypothesized neural dynamics of working memory: several chunks might be marked simultaneously by harmonic frequencies within an octave band of brain waves

orderly mixing and transitions among limited numbers of signal lines—are suggestive of properties that a dynamic neural process might need in order to organize and reorganize WM markers, but there are a number of additional, nonobvious advantageous properties of summating sinusoids in music-like relationships. In particular, harmonies register a stable periodic signal in the briefest possible time. Thus, the regularity of summating sinusoids whose frequencies bear harmony ratios suggests a particular kind of tradeoff between parallel and serial processing. When there are few copresent waves, at EEG frequencies, this sort of parallel coding retains behaviorally meaningful brief periods. A necessary companion hypothesis is that the brain wave frequencies underlying WM are confined to a single octave; that is, the upper and lower bounds of the band are in the ratio of 2:1. This hypothesized restriction, suggested by an empirical property of EEG bands that has been widely reported but rarely commented upon, has the important property of precluding spurious difference rhythms. A restriction to an octave, of “harmonious” frequency-markers for WM items, also seems consistent with a great deal of behavioral data suggesting that WM comprises a rapidly fading trace process in which only up to three or four item-representations are strongly activated simultaneously. There is also an additional, sequential renewal-or-revision process, within which up to another three or four items are being actively refreshed by rehearsal or replaced. Such serial processing may involve a less stringent octave band crowding problem.