Spatially Tuned Neurons in Corvid Nidopallium Caudolaterale Signal Target Position During Visual Search
Spatially Tuned Neurons in Corvid Nidopallium Caudolaterale Signal Target Position During Visual Search
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DOI：
10.1093/cercor/bhv299
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发表时间：
2017-02-01
期刊：
影响因子：
3.7
通讯作者：
Nieder，Andreas
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Veit，Lena;Hartmann，Konstantin;Nieder，Andreas
鸟类丘脑内侧核(NCL)在连通性、多巴胺神经化学和功能方面与哺乳动物前额叶皮质有重要的相似之处。NCL中的神经元处理已经从感觉、认知和奖赏信息方面进行了研究，但对其在更直接地控制运动行为中的作用知之甚少。我们研究了延迟匹配到样本任务的选择期内的NCL活动，当2只训练有素的乌鸦从4张图片中搜索并选择一个先前记住的视觉目标时。乌鸦表现出与连续视觉搜索一致的行为反应模式。在视觉搜索和指导运动行为的过程中，许多单个NCL神经元在空间上被调整到特定的目标位置。此外，单个NCL神经元动态地改变了它们的调谐特性，以代表整个试验中不同的行为相关任务变量。在连续的任务阶段，单个神经元对视觉刺激做出反应，将刺激信息存储在工作记忆中，根据记忆的目标图片引导目标导向行为，并对试验结果进行编码。在目标导向行为的执行控制中，这种对所有任务相关方面的灵活编码代表了灵长类前额叶皮质神经元编码的惊人趋同。这些数据突出了乌鸦和灵长类动物灵活认知行为背后的关联终脑区的关键特性。
The avian pallial endbrain area nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL) shows important similarities to mammalian prefrontal cortex in connectivity, dopamine neurochemistry, and function. Neuronal processing in NCL has been studied with respect to sensory, cognitive, and reward information, but little is known about its role in more direct control of motor behavior. We investigated NCL activity during the choice period of a delayed match-to-sample task, as 2 trained crows searched and selected a previously remembered visual target among an array of 4 pictures. The crows exhibited behavioral response patterns consistent with serial visual search. Many single NCL neurons were spatially tuned to specific target positions during visual search and directed motor behavior. Moreover, single NCL neurons dynamically changed their tuning properties to represent different behaviorally relevant task variables across the trial. In consecutive task periods, single neurons responded to visual stimuli, stored stimulus information in working memory, guided goal-directed behavior depending on the remembered target picture, and encoded trial outcomes. This flexible encoding of all task-relevant aspects in the executive control of goal-directed behavior represents a striking convergence to neuronal encoding in primate prefrontal cortex. These data highlight key properties of associative endbrain areas underlying flexible cognitive behavior in corvids and primates.