Distinct oscillatory neural rhythms support representational precision and confidence in working memory.

Distinct alpha- and beta-band oscillations encode separate forms of working memory uncertainty, with alpha supporting precision and beta representing scalar confidence.

• Why it matters: Understanding how the brain tracks and encodes uncertainty in working memory is crucial for revealing the neural basis of effective decision-making and metacognition, yet these mechanisms remain largely unknown.
• What they did: Using EEG during a spatial working memory task with trial-by-trial uncertainty reports, the study employed probabilistic encoding-decoding models to identify oscillatory signatures of uncertainty, focusing on alpha and beta bands.
• The result: Findings demonstrate that alpha activity predicts the precision of memory representations, while beta activity encodes a persistent scalar confidence signal, enabling the brain to multiplex different uncertainty types across neural rhythms.