Abstract: Working memory (WM) is a system that is used for temporary storage and manipulation of information. For dissociate the brain areas involved in verbal storage and rehearsal, event-related brain potentials were measured when 14 normal young participants were performing 2-back task, 0-back task and rehearsal task of Chinese characters. The difference wave N430 appeared at the posterior of the scalp by subtraction of ERP in the rehearsal task from that in 2-back task, which probably reflected the short-term storage and its time-course. The difference wave of sustained negative component (SNC) appeared at the anterior of the scalp by subtraction of ERP in 0-back task from that in 2-back task, which is a likely dynamic index of rehearsal processes. Frontal lobe and posterior areas of brain maybe govern the rehearsal and short-term storage, respectively. The dynamic division of both areas possibly is neural base of temporarily maintaining in verbal WM.

Key words: working memory, short-term storage, rehearsal, n-back task, event-related potentials (ERPs)