Representation of immediate and final behavioral goals in the monkey prefrontal cortex during an instructed delay period
Representation of immediate and final behavioral goals in the monkey prefrontal cortex during an instructed delay period
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DOI：
10.1093/cercor/bhi032
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发表时间：
2005-10-01
期刊：
影响因子：
3.7
通讯作者：
Tanji, J
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Saito, N;Mushiake, H;Tanji, J
我们研究了在迷宫中执行路径规划任务的猴子的外侧前额叶皮层中的神经元活动，该任务需要多步规划行动。动物接受一个指令，提示他们准备通过用任何一只手臂操作manipulanda将迷宫中的光标从起始位置逐步移动到目标位置。在动物准备开始三次光标移动中的第一次以接近预先指示的目标的延迟期间，我们确定了两种类型的神经元活动：第一种类型反映了迷宫内动物打算将光标移动到的位置作为初始步骤（直接目标），第二种类型反映了迷宫内要捕获的位置作为最终目标。这两种类型都没有反映运动反应。我们认为，这两种类型的神经元活动是神经元相关的，代表直接和最终的行为目标。这一发现表明，前额叶皮层控制着目标导向的顺序行为，而不是感觉运动的转换。
We examined neuronal activity in the lateral prefrontal cortex of monkeys performing a path-planning task in a maze that required the planning of actions in multiple steps. The animals received an instruction that prompted them to prepare to move a cursor in the maze stepwise from a starting position to a goal position by operating manipulanda with either arm. During a delay period in which the animal prepared to start the first of three cursor movements to approach the pre-instructed goal, we identified two types of neuronal activity: the first type reflected the position within the maze to which the animal intended to move the cursor as an initial step (an immediate goal) and the second type reflected the position within the maze that was to be captured as a final goal. Neither type reflected motor responses. We propose that these two types of neuronal activity are neuronal correlates that represent immediate and ultimate behavioral goals. This finding implicates the prefrontal cortex in governing goal-oriented sequential behavior rather than sensorimotor transformation.