Occipital and inferotemporal responses to visual signals in the monkey

Correctness and response time distributions in the MemTrax continuous recognition task: Analysis of strategies and a reverse-exponential model

A critical issue in addressing medical conditions is measurement. Memory measurement is difficult, especially episodic memory, which is disrupted by many conditions. On-line computer testing can precisely measure and assess several memory functions. This study analyzed memory performances from a large group of anonymous, on-line participants using a continuous recognition task (CRT) implemented at https://memtrax.com. These analyses estimated ranges of acceptable performance and average response time (RT). For 344,165 presumed unique individuals completing the CRT a total of 602,272 times, data were stored on a server, including each correct response (HIT), Correct Rejection, and RT to the thousandth of a second. Responses were analyzed, distributions and relationships of these parameters were ascertained, and mean RTs were determined for each participant across the population. From 322,996 valid first tests, analysis of correctness showed that 63% of these tests achieved at least 45 correct (90%), 92% scored at or above 40 correct (80%), and 3% scored 35 correct (70%) or less. The distribution of RTs was skewed with 1% faster than 0.62 s, a median at 0.890 s, and 1% slower than 1.57 s. The RT distribution was best explained by a novel model, the reverse-exponential (RevEx) function. Increased RT speed was most closely associated with increased HIT accuracy. The MemTrax on-line memory test readily provides valid and reliable metrics for assessing individual episodic memory function that could have practical clinical utility for precise assessment of memory dysfunction in many conditions, including improvement or deterioration over time.

Invariant Synapse Density and Neuronal Connectivity Scaling in Primate Neocortical Evolution

Synapses are involved in the communication of information from one neuron to another. However, a systematic analysis of synapse density in the neocortex from a diversity of species is lacking, limiting what can be understood about the evolution of this fundamental aspect of brain structure. To address this, we quantified synapse density in supragranular layers II-III and infragranular layers V-VI from primary visual cortex and inferior temporal cortex in a sample of 25 species of primates, including humans. We found that synapse densities were relatively constant across these levels of the cortical visual processing hierarchy and did not significantly differ with brain mass, varying by only 1.9-fold across species. We also found that neuron densities decreased in relation to brain enlargement. Consequently, these data show that the number of synapses per neuron significantly rises as a function of brain expansion in these neocortical areas of primates. Humans displayed the highest number of synapses per neuron, but these values were generally within expectations based on brain size. The metabolic and biophysical constraints that regulate uniformity of synapse density, therefore, likely underlie a key principle of neuronal connectivity scaling in primate neocortical evolution.

A Computerized Continuous-Recognition Task for Measurement of Episodic Memory

Based on clinical observations of severe episodic memory (EM) impairment in dementia of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a brief, computerized EM test was developed for AD patient evaluation. A continuous recognition task (CRT) was chosen because of its extensive use in EM research. Initial experience with this computerized CRT (CCRT) showed patients were very engaged in the test, but AD patients had marked failure in recognizing repeated images. Subsequently, the test was administered to audiences, and then a two-minute online version was implemented (http://www.memtrax.com). The online CCRT shows 50 images, 25 unique and 25 repeats, which subjects respectively either try to remember or indicate recognition as quickly as possible. The pictures contain 5 sets of 5 images of scenes or objects (e.g., mountains, clothing, vehicles, etc.). A French company (HAPPYneuron, SAS) provided the test for 2 years, with these results. Of 18,477 individuals, who indicated sex and age 21–99 years and took the test for the first time, 18,007 individuals performed better than chance. In this group, age explained 1.5% of the variance in incorrect responses and 3.5% of recognition time variance, indicating considerable population variability. However, when averaging for specific year of age, age explained 58% of percent incorrect variance and 78% of recognition time variance, showing substantial population variability but a major age effect. There were no apparent sex effects. Further studies are indicated to determine the value of this CCRT as an AD screening test and validity as a measure of EM impairment in other clinical conditions.

The representation of egocentric space in the posterior parietal cortex

The posterior parietal cortex (PPC) is the most likely site where egocentric spatial relationships are represented in the brain. PPC cells receive visual, auditory, somaesthetic, and vestibular sensory inputs; oculomotor, head, limb, and body motor signals; and strong motivational projections from the limbic system. Their discharge increases not only when an animal moves towards a sensory target, but also when it directs its attention to it. PPC lesions have the opposite effect: sensory inattention and neglect. The PPC does not seem to contain a "map" of the location of objects in space but a distributed neural network for transforming one set of sensory vectors into other sensory reference frames or into various motor coordinate systems. Which set of transformation rules is used probably depends on attention, which selectively enhances the synapses needed for making a particular sensory comparison or aiming a particular movement.

Does the nervous system depend on kinesthetic information to control natural limb movements?

This target article draws together two groups of experimental studies on the control of human movement through peripheral feedback and centrally generated signals of motor commands. First, during natural movement, feedback from muscle, joint, and cutaneous afferents changes; in human subjects these changes have reflex and kinesthetic consequences. Recent psychophysical and microneurographic evidence suggests that joint and even cutaneous afferents may have a proprioceptive role. Second, the role of centrally generated motor commands in the control of normal movements and movements following acute and chronic deafferentation is reviewed. There is increasing evidence that subjects can perceive their motor commands under various conditions, but that this is inadequate for normal movement; deficits in motor performance arise when the reliance on proprioceptive feedback is abolished either experimentally or because of pathology. During natural movement, the CNS appears to have access to functionally useful input from a range of peripheral receptors as well as from internally generated command signals. The unanswered questions that remain suggest a number of avenues for further research.

Implications of neural networks for how we think about brain function

Engineers use neural networks to control systems too complex for conventional engineering solutions. To examine the behavior of individual hidden units would defeat the purpose of this approach because it would be largely uninterpretable. Yet neurophysiologists spend their careers doing just that! Hidden units contain bits and scraps of signals that yield only arcane hints about network function and no information about how its individual units process signals. Most literature on single-unit recordings attests to this grim fact. On the other hand, knowing a system's function and describing it with elegant mathematics tell one very little about what to expect of interneuronal behavior. Examples of simple networks based on neurophysiology are taken from the oculomotor literature to suggest how single-unit interpretability might decrease with increasing task complexity. It is argued that trying to explain how any real neural network works on a cell-by-cell, reductionist basis is futile and we may have to be content with trying to understand the brain at higher levels of organization.

Pyramidal cells in prefrontal cortex of primates: marked differences in neuronal structure among species

The most ubiquitous neuron in the cerebral cortex, the pyramidal cell, is characterized by markedly different dendritic structure among different cortical areas. The complex pyramidal cell phenotype in granular prefrontal cortex (gPFC) of higher primates endows specific biophysical properties and patterns of connectivity, which differ from those in other cortical regions. However, within the gPFC, data have been sampled from only a select few cortical areas. The gPFC of species such as human and macaque monkey includes more than 10 cortical areas. It remains unknown as to what degree pyramidal cell structure may vary among these cortical areas. Here we undertook a survey of pyramidal cells in the dorsolateral, medial, and orbital gPFC of cercopithecid primates. We found marked heterogeneity in pyramidal cell structure within and between these regions. Moreover, trends for gradients in neuronal complexity varied among species. As the structure of neurons determines their computational abilities, memory storage capacity and connectivity, we propose that these specializations in the pyramidal cell phenotype are an important determinant of species-specific executive cortical functions in primates.

Investigating occipito-temporal contributions to reading with TMS

The debate regarding the role of ventral occipito-temporal cortex (vOTC) in visual word recognition arises, in part, from difficulty delineating the functional contributions of vOTC as separate from other areas of the reading network. Here, we investigated the feasibility of using TMS to interfere with vOTC processing in order to explore its specific contributions to visual word recognition. Three visual lexical decision experiments were conducted using neuronavigated TMS. The first demonstrated that repetitive stimulation of vOTC successfully slowed word, but not nonword, responses. The second confirmed and extended these findings by demonstrating the effect was specific to vOTC and not present in the adjacent lateral occipital complex. The final experiment used paired-pulse TMS to investigate the time course of vOTC processing for words and revealed activation starting as early as 80-120 msec poststimulus onset-significantly earlier than that expected based on electrophysiological and magnetoencephalography studies. Taken together, these results clearly indicate that TMS can be successfully used to stimulate parts of vOTC previously believed to be inaccessible and provide a new tool for systematically investigating the information processing characteristics of vOTC. In addition, the findings provide strong evidence that lexical status and frequency significantly affect vOTC processing, findings difficult to reconcile with prelexical accounts of vOTC function.

Specializations of the granular prefrontal cortex of primates: implications for cognitive processing

The biological underpinnings of human intelligence remain enigmatic. There remains the greatest confusion and controversy regarding mechanisms that enable humans to conceptualize, plan, and prioritize, and why they are set apart from other animals in their cognitive abilities. Here we demonstrate that the basic neuronal building block of the cerebral cortex, the pyramidal cell, is characterized by marked differences in structure among primate species. Moreover, comparison of the complexity of neuron structure with the size of the cortical area/region in which the cells are located revealed that trends in the granular prefrontal cortex (gPFC) were dramatically different to those in visual cortex. More specifically, pyramidal cells in the gPFC of humans had a disproportionately high number of spines. As neuron structure determines both its biophysical properties and connectivity, differences in the complexity in dendritic structure observed here endow neurons with different computational abilities. Furthermore, cortical circuits composed of neurons with distinguishable morphologies will likely be characterized by different functional capabilities. We propose that 1. circuitry in V1, V2, and gPFC within any given species differs in its functional capabilities and 2. there are dramatic differences in the functional capabilities of gPFC circuitry in different species, which are central to the different cognitive styles of primates. In particular, the highly branched, spinous neurons in the human gPFC may be a key component of human intelligence.

Large-Scale Visuomotor Integration in the Cerebral Cortex

Efficient visuomotor behavior depends on integrated processing by the visual and motor systems of the cerebral cortex. Yet, many previous cortical neurophysiology studies have examined the visual and motor modalities in isolation, largely ignoring questions of large-scale cross-modal integration. To address this issue, we analyzed event-related local field potentials simultaneously recorded from multiple visual, motor, and executive cortical sites in monkeys performing a visuomotor pattern discrimination task. The timing and cortical location of four aspects of event-related activities were examined: stimulus-evoked activation onset, stimulus-specific processing, stimulus category-specific processing, and response-specific processing. Activations appeared earliest in striate cortex and rapidly thereafter in other visual areas. Stimulus-specific processing began early in most visual cortical areas, some at activation onset. Early onset latencies were also observed in motor, premotor, and prefrontal areas, some as early as in striate cortex, but these early-activating frontal sites did not show early stimulus-specific processing. Response-specific processing began around 150 ms poststimulus in widespread cortical areas, suggesting that perceptual decision formation and response selection arose through concurrent processes of visual, motor, and executive areas. The occurrence of stimulus-specific and stimulus category-specific differences after the onset of response-specific processing suggests that sensory and motor stages of visuomotor processing overlapped in time.

Specialization in pyramidal cell structure in the sensory-motor cortex of the Chacma baboon (Papio ursinus) with comparative notes on macaque and vervet monkeys

The systematic study of pyramidal cell structure has revealed new insights into specialization of the phenotype in the primate cerebral cortex. Regional specialization in the neuronal phenotype may influence patterns of connectivity and the computational abilities of the circuits they compose. The comparative study of pyramidal cells in homologous cortical areas is beginning to yield data on the evolution and development of such specialized circuitry in the primate cerebral cortex. Recently, we have focused our efforts on sensory-motor cortex. Based on our intracellular injection methodology, we have demonstrated a progressive increase in the size of, the branching structure in, and the spine density of the basal dendritic trees of pyramidal cells through somatosensory areas 3b, 1, 2, 5, and 7 in the macaque and vervet monkeys. In addition, we have shown that pyramidal cells in premotor area 6 are larger, more branched, and more spinous than those in the primary motor cortex (MI or area 4) in the macaque monkey, vervet monkey, and baboon. Here we expand the basis for comparison by studying the basal dendritic trees of layer III pyramidal cells in these same sensory-motor areas in the chacma baboon. The baboon was selected because it has a larger cerebral cortex than either the macaque or vervet monkeys; motor cortex has expanded disproportionately in these three species; and motor cortex in the baboon reportedly has differentiated to include a new cortical area not present in either the macaque or vervet monkeys. We found, as in monkeys, a progressive increase in the morphological complexity of pyramidal cells through areas 3b, 5, and 7, as well as from area 4 to area 6, suggesting that areal specialization in microcircuitry was likely to be present in a common ancestor of primates. In addition, we found subtle differences in the extent of the interareal differences in pyramidal cell structure between homologous cortical areas in the three species.

Pyramidal cell specialization in the occipitotemporal cortex of the Chacma baboon (Papio ursinus)

Pyramidal cell structure varies systematically in occipitotemporal visual areas in monkeys. The dendritic trees of pyramidal cells, on average, become larger, more branched and more spinous with progression from the primary visual area (V1) to the second visual area (V2), the fourth (V4, or dorsolateral DL visual area) and inferotemporal (IT) cortex. Presently available data reveal that the extent of this increase in complexity parallels the expansion of occipitotemporal cortex. Here we extend the basis for comparison by studying pyramidal cell structure in occipitotemporal cortical areas in the chacma baboon. We found a systematic increase in the size of and branching complexity in the basal dendritic trees, as well as a progressive increase in the spine density along the basal dendrites of layer III pyramidal cells through V1, V2 and V4. These data suggest that the trend for more complex pyramidal cells with anterior progression through occipitotemporal visual areas is not a feature restricted to monkeys and prosimians, but is a widespread feature of occipitotemporal cortex in primates.

Pyramidal cell heterogeneity in the visual cortex of the nocturnal New World owl monkey (Aotus trivirgatus)

Recent studies have revealed marked variation in pyramidal cell structure in the visual cortex of macaque and marmoset monkeys. In particular, there is a systematic increase in the size of, and number of spines in, the arbours of pyramidal cells with progression through occipitotemporal (OT) visual areas. In the present study we extend the basis for comparison by investigating pyramidal cell structure in OT visual areas of the nocturnal owl monkey. As in the diurnal macaque and marmoset monkeys, pyramidal cells became progressively larger and more spinous with anterior progression through OT visual areas. These data suggest that: 1. the trend for more complex pyramidal cells with anterior progression through OT visual areas is a fundamental organizational principle in primate cortex; 2. areal specialization of the pyramidal cell phenotype provides an anatomical substrate for the reconstruction of the visual scene in OT areas; 3. evolutionary specialization of different aspects of visual processing may determine the extent of interareal variation in the pyramidal cell phenotype in different species; and 4. pyramidal cell structure is not necessarily related to brain size.

The primate temporal pole: its putative role in object recognition and memory

In this article, we consider both the ventral temporopolar cortex and the perirhinal cortex (areas 35 and 36) as the anterior ventromedial temporal (aVMT) cortex, and discuss its role based on recent data in monkeys and human subjects. In monkeys, the aVMT cortex receives its primary input from area TE, and only minor input from other cortical areas. Laminar patterns of connections suggest that the aVMT cortex is a hierarchically higher-order area than area TE. Lesions of this cortex produce deficits in the learning and performance of visual memory tasks. Neurons in the aVMT cortex respond selectively to complex stimuli and changes in activity related to visual memory tasks. In humans, damage of this cortex induces deficits in the recognition of familiar objects and faces. The aVMT cortex is activated during recognition of familiar faces. In addition, the aVMT cortex is one of the most vulnerable areas in Alzheimer's disease. All these data indicate that the aVMT cortex is a higher-order visual cortical area that is related to object recognition and memory. The anterior area TE has been implicated in both functions. We propose here that these areas and the anterior entorhinal cortex are designated as the temporal pole, a brain region which is specialized for both object recognition and memory.

Interareal synchronization in the visual cortex

The primary visual cortex (V1) is part of a highly interconnected network of cortical areas, hierarchically organized but operating concurrently across hierarchical levels. The high degree of reciprocal interconnection among visual cortical areas provides a framework for their interaction during the performance of visual scene analysis. The functional interdependency of visual cortical areas which develops during scene analysis can be investigated by techniques which measure interareal correlated activity. Evidence from monkeys performing a visual pattern discrimination suggests that synchronization of aperiodic activity from neuronal ensembles in cortical areas at different hierarchical levels is a relevant aspect of visual function. The near-periodic nature of the synchronized response to moving light bars in earlier studies may have been a result of the type of stimulus used. Various models of visual cortex are discussed in which interareal synchronization plays a functional role.

Large-scale cortical networks and cognition

The well-known parcellation of the mammalian cerebral cortex into a large number of functionally distinct cytoarchitectonic areas presents a problem for understanding the complex cortical integrative functions that underlie cognition. How do cortical areas having unique individual functional properties cooperate to accomplish these complex operations? Do neurons distributed throughout the cerebral cortex act together in large-scale functional assemblages? This review examines the substantial body of evidence supporting the view that complex integrative functions are carried out by large-scale networks of cortical areas. Pathway tracing studies in non-human primates have revealed widely distributed networks of interconnected cortical areas, providing an anatomical substrate for large-scale parallel processing of information in the cerebral cortex. Functional coactivation of multiple cortical areas has been demonstrated by neurophysiological studies in non-human primates and several different cognitive functions have been shown to depend on multiple distributed areas by human neuropsychological studies. Electrophysiological studies on interareal synchronization have provided evidence that active neurons in different cortical areas may become not only coactive, but also functionally interdependent. The computational advantages of synchronization between cortical areas in large-scale networks have been elucidated by studies using artificial neural network models. Recent observations of time-varying multi-areal cortical synchronization suggest that the functional topology of a large-scale cortical network is dynamically reorganized during visuomotor behavior.

Delayed late component of visual global field power in probable Alzheimer's disease

A substantial literature shows that late components of visual evoked potentials (VEPs) are delayed in at least some forms of dementia in the elderly. The late-component delay is selective in that earlier components are not affected. More recent work with better defined clinical groups suggests that the selective late-component delay may be characteristic of Alzheimer's disease (AD) rather than an inevitable feature of dementia in general. To overcome problems in traditional VEP component latency measurement the present study uses reference-free Global Field Power (GFP) analysis to more objectively define VEP components and finds that the GFP peak corresponding to the late P2 component of the flash VEP is delayed in a probable AD group but not in a demented unlikely AD group, relative to age-equivalent healthy controls. The late-component delay is again found to be selective in that the GFP peak corresponding to the earlier P1 component of the flash VEP does not differ between groups. These findings further strengthen the evidence for electrocortical changes in the visual system of AD patients.

Parallel distributed processing and neural networks: origins, methodology and cognitive functions

Parallel Distributed Processing (PDP), a computational methodology with origins in Associationism, is used to provide empirical information regarding neurobiological systems. Recently, supercomputers have enabled neuroscientists to model brain behavior-relationships. An overview of supercomputer architecture demonstrates the advantages of parallel over serial processing. Histological data provide physical evidence of the parallel distributed nature of certain aspects of the human brain, as do corresponding computer simulations. Whereas sensory networks follow more sequential neural network pathways, in vivo brain imaging studies of attention and rudimentary language tasks appear to involve multiple cortical and subcortical areas. Controversy remains as to whether associative models or Artificial Intelligence symbolic models better reflect neural networks of cognitive functions; however, considerable interest has shifted towards associative models.

The basis for choice reaction time slowing in Alzheimer's disease

Slowed reaction time has been suggested as an early feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the basis for this slowing has not been established. Patients with mild AD were compared with controls on a choice reaction time task, both cued (CCRT) and uncued (CRT). Initial and 1-year followup data were analyzed both as mean reaction times and as parameters of a fitted two-component quantitative model (the ex-Gaussian model). Slowing of CRT proved to be a sensitive test for AD. Slowing was due to changes in both the sensory/motor and the decisional components of the CRT model. However, these changes were found in both AD and slower, older controls. The modeling of CRT in AD is discussed.

Single unit activity in cat prefrontal and parietal cortex during performance of a symmetrically reinforced go-no go task

Relationships between the performance in a symmetrically reinforced go-no go task and cellular firing patterns in prefrontal and parietal association areas of the neocortex were studied in six cats. During recordings, animals lay in a box, with their heads fixed to a stereotaxic frame, and performed an auditory go-no go task by pressing a retractable lever in front of them. Units obtained were classified into eight types according to the correlation of their activity changes with aspects of the task and/or with sensory stimuli. These types were (poly-) sensory, reward related, EMG-related, EOG-related, event-related, movement-initiating, expressing expectancy or novelty, and nonspecific or task-unrelated active units. Between the two recording areas a considerable degree of similarity was obtained in unit firing patterns. It was concluded that within the cerebral cortex, and especially within its association areas, a considerable functional overlap exists, that neurons may be involved in the processing of several and rather different phenomena, and that the processing of information at this level of the brain is generally done via widespread, interwoven neuronal nets so that only the average network activity, but not that of a particular, single neuron, represents a stimulus or an event.