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Miller JA, Constantinidis C. Timescales of learning in prefrontal cortex. Nat Rev Neurosci 2024; 25:597-610. [PMID: 38937654 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-024-00836-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
The lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) in humans and other primates is critical for immediate, goal-directed behaviour and working memory, which are classically considered distinct from the cognitive and neural circuits that support long-term learning and memory. Over the past few years, a reconsideration of this textbook perspective has emerged, in that different timescales of memory-guided behaviour are in constant interaction during the pursuit of immediate goals. Here, we will first detail how neural activity related to the shortest timescales of goal-directed behaviour (which requires maintenance of current states and goals in working memory) is sculpted by long-term knowledge and learning - that is, how the past informs present behaviour. Then, we will outline how learning across different timescales (from seconds to years) drives plasticity in the primate lateral PFC, from single neuron firing rates to mesoscale neuroimaging activity patterns. Finally, we will review how, over days and months of learning, dense local and long-range connectivity patterns in PFC facilitate longer-lasting changes in population activity by changing synaptic weights and recruiting additional neural resources to inform future behaviour. Our Review sheds light on how the machinery of plasticity in PFC circuits facilitates the integration of learned experiences across time to best guide adaptive behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob A Miller
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Christos Constantinidis
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Neuroscience Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
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2
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Parto-Dezfouli M, Vanegas I, Zarei M, Nesse WH, Clark KL, Noudoost B. Prefrontal working memory signal primarily controls phase-coded information within extrastriate cortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.28.610140. [PMID: 39257783 PMCID: PMC11383686 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.28.610140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2024]
Abstract
In order to understand how prefrontal cortex provides the benefits of working memory (WM) for visual processing we examined the influence of WM on the representation of visual signals in V4 neurons in two macaque monkeys. We found that WM induces strong β oscillations in V4 and that the timing of action potentials relative to this oscillation reflects sensory information- i.e., a phase coding of visual information. Pharmacologically inactivating the Frontal Eye Field part of prefrontal cortex, we confirmed the necessity of prefrontal signals for the WM-driven boost in phase coding of visual information. Indeed, changes in the average firing rate of V4 neurons could be accounted for by WM-induced oscillatory changes. We present a network model to describe how WM signals can recruit sensory areas primarily by inducing oscillations within these areas and discuss the implications of these findings for a sensory recruitment theory of WM through coherence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Parto-Dezfouli
- Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, 60528 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Isabel Vanegas
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, John Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Mohammad Zarei
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - William H Nesse
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, John Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Kelsey L Clark
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, John Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Behrad Noudoost
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, John Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Lead
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3
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Simon Iv J, Rich EL. Neural populations in macaque anterior cingulate cortex encode social image identities. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7500. [PMID: 39209844 PMCID: PMC11362159 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51825-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The anterior cingulate cortex gyrus (ACCg) has been implicated in prosocial behaviors and reasoning about social cues. While this indicates that ACCg is involved in social behavior, it remains unclear whether ACCg neurons also encode social information during goal-directed actions without social consequences. To address this, we assessed how social information is processed by ACCg neurons in a reward localization task. Here we show that neurons in the ACCg of female rhesus monkeys differentiate the identities of conspecifics in task images, even when identity was task-irrelevant. This was in contrast to the prearcuate cortex (PAC), which has not been strongly linked to social behavior, where neurons differentiated identities in both social and nonsocial images. Many neurons in the ACCg also categorically distinguished social from nonsocial trials, but this encoding was only slightly more common in ACCg compared to the PAC. Together, our results suggest that ACCg neurons are uniquely sensitive to social information that differentiates individuals, which may underlie its role in complex social reasoning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Simon Iv
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Lipschultz Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Erin L Rich
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Lipschultz Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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4
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Xia R, Chen X, Engel TA, Moore T. Common and distinct neural mechanisms of attention. Trends Cogn Sci 2024; 28:554-567. [PMID: 38388258 PMCID: PMC11153008 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2024.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Despite a constant deluge of sensory stimulation, only a fraction of it is used to guide behavior. This selective processing is generally referred to as attention, and much research has focused on the neural mechanisms controlling it. Recently, research has broadened to include more ways by which different species selectively process sensory information, whether due to the sensory input itself or to different behavioral and brain states. This work has produced a complex and disjointed body of evidence across different species and forms of attention. However, it has also provided opportunities to better understand the breadth of attentional mechanisms. Here, we summarize the evidence that suggests that different forms of selective processing are supported by mechanisms both common and distinct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruobing Xia
- Department of Neurobiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Xiaomo Chen
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Tatiana A Engel
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Tirin Moore
- Department of Neurobiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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5
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Choudhary K, Berberich S, Hahn TTG, McFarland JM, Mehta MR. Spontaneous persistent activity and inactivity in vivo reveals differential cortico-entorhinal functional connectivity. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3542. [PMID: 38719802 PMCID: PMC11079062 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47617-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding the functional connectivity between brain regions and its emergent dynamics is a central challenge. Here we present a theory-experiment hybrid approach involving iteration between a minimal computational model and in vivo electrophysiological measurements. Our model not only predicted spontaneous persistent activity (SPA) during Up-Down-State oscillations, but also inactivity (SPI), which has never been reported. These were confirmed in vivo in the membrane potential of neurons, especially from layer 3 of the medial and lateral entorhinal cortices. The data was then used to constrain two free parameters, yielding a unique, experimentally determined model for each neuron. Analytic and computational analysis of the model generated a dozen quantitative predictions about network dynamics, which were all confirmed in vivo to high accuracy. Our technique predicted functional connectivity; e. g. the recurrent excitation is stronger in the medial than lateral entorhinal cortex. This too was confirmed with connectomics data. This technique uncovers how differential cortico-entorhinal dialogue generates SPA and SPI, which could form an energetically efficient working-memory substrate and influence the consolidation of memories during sleep. More broadly, our procedure can reveal the functional connectivity of large networks and a theory of their emergent dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna Choudhary
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- HRL Laboratories, Malibu, CA, USA
| | - Sven Berberich
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | | | | | - Mayank R Mehta
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- W. M. Keck Center for Neurophysics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Departments of Neurology and Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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6
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Lazzerini Ospri L, Zhan JJ, Thomsen MB, Wang H, Komal R, Tang Q, Messanvi F, du Hoffmann J, Cravedi K, Chudasama Y, Hattar S, Zhao H. Light affects the prefrontal cortex via intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadh9251. [PMID: 38552022 PMCID: PMC10980283 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh9251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) is a part of the limbic system engaged in the regulation of social, emotional, and cognitive states, which are characteristically impaired in disorders of the brain such as schizophrenia and depression. Here, we show that intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) modulate, through light, the integrity, activity, and function of the vmPFC. This regulatory role, which is independent of circadian and mood alterations, is mediated by an ipRGC-thalamic-corticolimbic pathway. Lack of ipRGC signaling in mice causes dendritic degeneration, dysregulation of genes involved in synaptic plasticity, and depressed neuronal activity in the vmPFC. These alterations primarily undermine the ability of the vmPFC to regulate emotions. Our discovery provides a potential light-dependent mechanism for certain PFC-centric disorders in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jesse J. Zhan
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Michael B. Thomsen
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Hui Wang
- National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ruchi Komal
- National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Qijun Tang
- National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Fany Messanvi
- National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Johann du Hoffmann
- National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kevin Cravedi
- National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yogita Chudasama
- National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Samer Hattar
- National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Haiqing Zhao
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
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7
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Jonikaitis D, Noudoost B, Moore T. Dissociating the Contributions of Frontal Eye Field Activity to Spatial Working Memory and Motor Preparation. J Neurosci 2023; 43:8681-8689. [PMID: 37871965 PMCID: PMC10727190 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1071-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurons within dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) of primates are characterized by robust persistent spiking activity exhibited during the delay period of working memory tasks. This includes the frontal eye field (FEF) where nearly half of the neurons are active when spatial locations are held in working memory. Past evidence has established the FEF's contribution to the planning and triggering of saccadic eye movements as well as to the control of visual spatial attention. However, it remains unclear whether persistent delay activity reflects a similar dual role in movement planning and visuospatial working memory. We trained male monkeys to alternate between different forms of a spatial working memory task which could dissociate remembered stimulus locations from planned eye movements. We tested the effects of inactivation of FEF sites on behavioral performance in the different tasks. Consistent with previous studies, FEF inactivation impaired the execution of memory-guided saccades (MGSs), and impaired performance when remembered locations matched the planned eye movement. In contrast, memory performance was largely unaffected when the remembered location was dissociated from the correct eye movement response. Overall, the inactivation effects demonstrated clear deficits in eye movements, regardless of task type, but little or no evidence of a deficit in spatial working memory. Thus, our results indicate that persistent delay activity in the FEF contributes primarily to the preparation of eye movements and not to spatial working memory.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Many frontal eye field (FEF) neurons exhibit spatially tuned persistent spiking activity during the delay period of working memory tasks. However, the role of the FEF in spatial working memory remains unresolved. We tested the effects of inactivation of FEF sites on behavioral performance in different forms of a spatial working memory task, one of which dissociated the remembered stimulus locations from planned eye movements. We found that FEF inactivation produced clear deficits in eye movements, regardless of task type, but no deficit in spatial working memory when dissociated from those movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donatas Jonikaitis
- Department of Neurobiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94350
| | - Behrad Noudoost
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132
| | - Tirin Moore
- Department of Neurobiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94350
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8
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Lazzerini-Ospri L, Zhan JJ, Thomsen MB, Wang H, Messanvi F, du Hoffmann J, Cravedi K, Komal R, Chudasama Y, Zhao H, Hattar S. WITHDRAWN: Light affects the prefrontal cortex via intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.22.556752. [PMID: 37808740 PMCID: PMC10557604 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.22.556752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
This manuscript has been withdrawn by bioRxiv following a formal request by the NIH Intramural Research Integrity Office owing to lack of author consent.
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9
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Shams M, Thier P, Lomber SG, Merrikhi Y. Resilience of FEF neuronal saccade code to V4 perturbations. J Neurophysiol 2023; 130:1243-1251. [PMID: 37850785 PMCID: PMC10994545 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00056.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The frontal eye field (FEF) plays a key role in initiating rapid eye movements known as saccades. Accumulation models have been proposed to explain the dynamic of these neurons and how they may enable the initiation of saccades. To update the scope of the viability of this model, we studied single neurons recorded from the FEF of two rhesus monkeys while they performed a memory-guided saccade task. We evaluated the degree to which each type of FEF neuron complied with these models by quantifying how precisely their discharge predicted an imminent saccade based on their immediate presaccadic activity. We found that decoders trained on single neurons with a stronger motor component performed better than decoders trained on neurons with a stronger visual component in predicting the saccade. Importantly, despite a dramatic effect on the reaction times, the perturbations delivered to the FEF neurons via area V4 did not impact their saccade predictability. Our results demonstrate a high degree of resilience of the FEF neuronal presaccadic discharge patterns, fulfilling the predictions of accumulation models.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We studied neurons in the brain's frontal eye field (FEF) to understand how these neurons predict swift eye shifts called saccades. We found that neurons with more movement-related activity were better at predicting saccades than those with sensory-related activity. Interestingly, electrical disruptions of this region strongly impacted saccade onset times but did not affect the individual neuron's saccade predictability, consistent with models suggesting that a specific threshold in neural activity triggers the saccade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Shams
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Peter Thier
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stephen G Lomber
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Yaser Merrikhi
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
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10
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Comeaux P, Clark K, Noudoost B. A recruitment through coherence theory of working memory. Prog Neurobiol 2023; 228:102491. [PMID: 37393039 PMCID: PMC10530428 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2023.102491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
The interactions between prefrontal cortex and other areas during working memory have been studied for decades. Here we outline a conceptual framework describing interactions between these areas during working memory, and review evidence for key elements of this model. We specifically suggest that a top-down signal sent from prefrontal to sensory areas drives oscillations in these areas. Spike timing within sensory areas becomes locked to these working-memory-driven oscillations, and the phase of spiking conveys information about the representation available within these areas. Downstream areas receiving these phase-locked spikes from sensory areas can recover this information via a combination of coherent oscillations and gating of input efficacy based on the phase of their local oscillations. Although the conceptual framework is based on prefrontal interactions with sensory areas during working memory, we also discuss the broader implications of this framework for flexible communication between brain areas in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip Comeaux
- Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, 36 S. Wasatch Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; Dept. of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah, 65 Mario Capecchi Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Kelsey Clark
- Dept. of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah, 65 Mario Capecchi Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Behrad Noudoost
- Dept. of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah, 65 Mario Capecchi Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA.
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Jonikaitis D, Zhu S. Action space restructures visual working memory in prefrontal cortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.13.553135. [PMID: 37645942 PMCID: PMC10462047 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.13.553135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Visual working memory enables flexible behavior by decoupling sensory stimuli from behavioral actions. While previous studies have predominantly focused on the storage component of working memory, the role of future actions in shaping working memory remains unknown. To answer this question, we used two working memory tasks that allowed the dissociation of sensory and action components of working memory. We measured behavioral performance and neuronal activity in the macaque prefrontal cortex area, frontal eye fields. We show that the action space reshapes working memory, as evidenced by distinct patterns of memory tuning and attentional orienting between the two tasks. Notably, neuronal activity during the working memory period predicted future behavior and exhibited mixed selectivity in relation to the sensory space but linear selectivity relative to the action space. This linear selectivity was achieved through the rapid transformation from sensory to action space and was subsequently maintained as a stable cross-temporal population activity pattern. Combined, we provide direct physiological evidence of the action-oriented nature of frontal eye field neurons during memory tasks and demonstrate that the anticipation of behavioral outcomes plays a significant role in transforming and maintaining the contents of visual working memory.
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12
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Jonikaitis D, Noudoost B, Moore T. Dissociating the Contributions of Frontal Eye Field Activity to Spatial Working Memory and Motor Preparation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.12.544653. [PMID: 37398433 PMCID: PMC10312624 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.12.544653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Neurons within dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of primates are characterized by robust persistent spiking activity exhibited during the delay period of working memory tasks. This includes the frontal eye field (FEF) where nearly half of the neurons are active when spatial locations are held in working memory. Past evidence has established the FEF's contribution to the planning and triggering of saccadic eye movements as well as to the control of visual spatial attention. However, it remains unclear if persistent delay activity reflects a similar dual role in movement planning and visuospatial working memory. We trained monkeys to alternate between different forms of a spatial working memory task which could dissociate remembered stimulus locations from planned eye movements. We tested the effects of inactivation of FEF sites on behavioral performance in the different tasks. Consistent with previous studies, FEF inactivation impaired the execution of memory-guided saccades, and impaired performance when remembered locations matched the planned eye movement. In contrast, memory performance was largely unaffected when the remembered location was dissociated from the correct eye movement response. Overall, the inactivation effects demonstrated clear deficits on eye movements, regardless of task type, but little or no evidence of a deficit in spatial working memory. Thus, our results indicate that persistent delay activity in the FEF contributes primarily to the preparation of eye movements and not to spatial working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donatas Jonikaitis
- Department of Neurobiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Behrad Noudoost
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Tirin Moore
- Department of Neurobiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
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13
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Zhang Z, Zhang Y, Yuwen T, Huo J, Zheng E, Zhang W, Li J. Hyper-excitability of corticothalamic PT neurons in mPFC promotes irritability in the mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111577. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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14
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Knöllner A, Memmert D, von Lehe M, Jungilligens J, Scharfen HE. Specific relations of visual skills and executive functions in elite soccer players. Front Psychol 2022; 13:960092. [PMID: 36092125 PMCID: PMC9454603 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.960092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual and cognitive skills are key to successful functioning in highly demanding settings such as elite sports. However, their mutual influence and interdependencies are not sufficiently understood yet. This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between visual skills and executive functions in elite soccer players. Fifty-nine male elite soccer players (age: 18–34 years) performed tests assessing visual clarity (left-, right-, and both eyes), contrast sensitivity, near-far quickness, and hand-eye coordination. Executive function measures included working memory capacity, cognitive flexibility, inhibition and selective attention. Overall, visual abilities were largely correlated with executive functions. Near-far quickness performance showed a large correlation with an executive function total score as well as with cognitive flexibility, working memory, and especially selective attention. Visual clarity and contrast sensitivity were moderately correlated with the cognition total score. Most consistent correlations with the visual functions were present for working memory. These findings present an overall vision-cognition relationship but also very specific linkages among subcategories of these functions, especially meaningful relations between near-far quickness, selective attention and cognitive flexibility. Further studies are needed to investigate the neuropsychological mechanisms accounting for the correlations and possible improvements of the executive functions by training specific visual skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Knöllner
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brandenburg Medical School, University Hospital Ruppin-Brandenburg, Neuruppin, Germany
- *Correspondence: Antonia Knöllner,
| | - Daniel Memmert
- Institute of Exercise Training and Sport Informatics, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Marec von Lehe
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brandenburg Medical School, University Hospital Ruppin-Brandenburg, Neuruppin, Germany
| | - Johannes Jungilligens
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Knappschaftskrankenhaus Bochum, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Hans-Erik Scharfen
- Institute of Exercise Training and Sport Informatics, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Neurocognition and Performance Lab, SV Werder Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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15
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Rezayat E, Clark K, Dehaqani MRA, Noudoost B. Dependence of Working Memory on Coordinated Activity Across Brain Areas. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 15:787316. [PMID: 35095433 PMCID: PMC8792503 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2021.787316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural signatures of working memory (WM) have been reported in numerous brain areas, suggesting a distributed neural substrate for memory maintenance. In the current manuscript we provide an updated review of the literature focusing on intracranial neurophysiological recordings during WM in primates. Such signatures of WM include changes in firing rate or local oscillatory power within an area, along with measures of coordinated activity between areas based on synchronization between oscillations. In comparing the ability of various neural signatures in any brain area to predict behavioral performance, we observe that synchrony between areas is more frequently and robustly correlated with WM performance than any of the within-area neural signatures. We further review the evidence for alteration of inter-areal synchrony in brain disorders, consistent with an important role for such synchrony during behavior. Additionally, results of causal studies indicate that manipulating synchrony across areas is especially effective at influencing WM task performance. Each of these lines of research supports the critical role of inter-areal synchrony in WM. Finally, we propose a framework for interactions between prefrontal and sensory areas during WM, incorporating a range of experimental findings and offering an explanation for the observed link between intra-areal measures and WM performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Rezayat
- School of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran
| | - Kelsey Clark
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Mohammad-Reza A. Dehaqani
- School of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran
- Cognitive Systems Laboratory, Control and Intelligent Processing Center of Excellence (CIPCE), School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Behrad Noudoost
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- *Correspondence: Behrad Noudoost,
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