Timing and neural encoding of somatosensory parametric working memory in macaque prefrontal cortex

Brody, C. D., Hernandez, A., Zainos, A., Romo, R. (November 2003) Timing and neural encoding of somatosensory parametric working memory in macaque prefrontal cortex. Cerebral Cortex, 13 (11). pp. 1196-1207. ISSN 1047-3211

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URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14576211
DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhg100

Abstract

We trained monkeys to compare the frequencies of two mechanical vibrations applied sequentially to the tip of a finger and to report which of the two stimuli had the higher frequency. This task requires remembering the first frequency during the delay period between the two stimuli. Recordings were made from neurons in the inferior convexity of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) while the monkeys performed the task. We report neurons that fire persistently during the delay period, with a firing rate that is a monotonic function of the frequency of the first stimulus. Separately from, and in addition to, their correlation with the first stimulus, the delay period firing rates of these neurons were correlated with the behavior of the monkey, in a manner consistent with their interpretation as the neural substrate of working memory during the task. Most neurons had firing rates that varied systematically with time during the delay period. We suggest that this time-dependent activity may encode time itself and may be an intrinsic part of active memory maintenance mechanisms.

Item Type: Paper
Uncontrolled Keywords: POSTERIOR PARIETAL CORTEX PERSISTENT ACTIVITY NEURONAL-ACTIVITY DELAYED-RESPONSE DECISION-MAKING NETWORK MODEL EYE-POSITION REPRESENTATION INTEGRATOR MONKEYS
Subjects: organism description > animal behavior
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > tissues types and functions > cerebral cortex
organism description > animal behavior > memory
organism description > animal > mammal > primates > monkey
organism description > animal > mammal > primates
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > tissues types and functions
CSHL Authors:
Communities: CSHL labs > Brody lab
Depositing User: Matt Covey
Date: November 2003
Date Deposited: 02 Apr 2013 14:26
Last Modified: 02 Apr 2013 14:27
Related URLs:
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/27995

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