The hypothesis that working memory is crucial for reducing distraction by m
aintaining the prioritization of relevant information was tested in neuroim
aging and psychological experiments with humans. Participants performed a s
elective attention task that required them to ignore distracter faces while
holding in working memory a sequence of digits that were in the same order
(Low memory Load) or a different order thigh memory Load) on every trial.
Higher memory Load, associated with increased prefrontal activity, resulted
in greater interference effects on behavioral performance from the distrac
ter faces, plus increased face-related activity in the visual cortex. These
findings confirm a major role for working memory in the control of visual
selective attention.