Womelsdorf, T., Fries, P., Mitra, P. P., Desimone, R. (2006) Gamma-band synchronization in visual cortex predicts speed of change detection. Nature, 439 (7077). pp. 733-736. ISSN 00280836
Abstract
Our capacity to process and respond behaviourally to multiple incoming stimuli is very limited. To optimize the use of this limited capacity, attentional mechanisms give priority to behaviourally relevant stimuli at the expense of irrelevant distractors. In visual areas, attended stimuli induce enhanced responses and an improved synchronization of rhythmic neuronal activity in the gamma frequency band (40-70 Hz)1-11. Both effects probably improve the neuronal signalling of attended stimuli within and among brain areas1,12-16. Attention also results in improved behavioural performance and shortened reaction times. However, it is not known how reaction times are related to either response strength or gamma-band synchronization in visual areas. Here we show that behavioural response times to a stimulus change can be predicted specifically by the degree of gamma-band synchronization among those neurons in monkey visual area V4 that are activated by the behaviourally relevant stimulus. When there are two visual stimuli and monkeys have to detect a change in one stimulus while ignoring the other, thek reactions are fastest when the relevant stimulus induces strong gamma-band synchronization before and after the change in stimulus. This enhanced gamma-band synchronization is also followed by shorter neuronal response latencies on the fast trials. Conversely, the monkeys' reactions are slowest when gamma-band synchronization is high in response to the irrelevant distractor. Thus, enhanced neuronal gamma-band synchronization and shortened neuronal response latencies to an attended stimulus seem to have direct effects on visually triggered behaviour, reflecting an early neuronal correlate of efficient visuo-motor integration. © 2006 Nature Publishing Group.
| Item Type: | Paper |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | organism description > animal behavior organism description > animal behavior > attention organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types > neurons organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types > neurons organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types > neurons organism description > animal > mammal > primates organism description > animal behavior > visual |
| CSHL Authors: | |
| Communities: | CSHL labs > Mitra lab |
| Depositing User: | CSHL Librarian |
| Date: | 2006 |
| Date Deposited: | 08 Dec 2011 15:40 |
| Last Modified: | 06 Feb 2017 17:06 |
| Related URLs: | |
| URI: | https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/22936 |
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