Cognition requires memory.
Every intelligent being has some form of memory playing a critical role in its higher cognitive function. In fact, the role played by memory in cognition is sufficiently complex that not just a single memory will do. In humans, a special memory system, called working memory, has been implicated as a critical component of all higher cognitive functions, including reasoning and problem-solving. Working memory is the system that stores a limited amount of information for a brief period of time, with that information subject to frequent updating and easy access. Recently, it has become possible to examine the brain correlates of working memory through the use of neuroimaging techniques with normal humans.