A change detection approach to study visual working memory of the macaque monkey
A change detection approach to study visual working memory of the macaque monkey
复制标题
DOI：
10.1167/11.3.11
复制
发表时间：
2011-01-01
影响因子：
1.8
通讯作者：
Pare, Martin
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Heyselaar, Evelien;Johnston, Kevin;Pare, Martin
工作记忆的一个核心方面是一次只能保存有限的信息，但在动物模型中对其潜在神经机制的研究一直被需要保留单一备忘录的范例所主导。在人类中，视觉工作记忆的信息处理限制已经通过顺序比较程序进行了广泛的研究，在顺序比较程序中，受试者在保持间隔之后检测到多项阵列中的变化。在这里，我们采用这种方法来研究猕猴的工作记忆能力。我们训练了两只雌性恒河猴(猕猴)执行变化检测任务，要求它们报告一个阵列中的几个项目(两到五个颜色刺激)中的一个项目在1-S保持间隔后颜色发生了变化。性能作为集合大小的函数逐渐下降，但总是超过机会概率。这些结果表明，猴子具有足够的信息处理能力来执行视觉工作记忆任务，需要同时保持对多个项目的记忆表征，并验证这个动物模型，以研究暂时保留不止一个备忘录的神经机制。
A core aspect of working memory is that only a limited amount of information can be held at one time, but the investigations of its underlying neural mechanisms in animal models have been dominated by paradigms requiring the retention of a single memorandum. In humans, the information processing limitations of visual working memory have been studied extensively using a sequential comparison procedure, in which subjects detect a change in a multiple-item array following a retention interval. Here, we adopted this approach to study the working memory ability of the macaque monkey. We trained two female rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) to perform a change detection task, in which they were required to report with a saccadic eye movement which one of several items (two to five colored stimuli) in a array had changed color after a 1-s retention interval. Performance gradually declined as a function of set size but always exceeded chance probability. These results show that monkeys possess sufficient information processing capability to perform a visual working memory task requiring the simultaneous maintenance of mnemonic representations of multiple items and validate this animal model for investigation of the neural mechanisms underlying the temporary retention of more than one memorandum.